Retribution
by FictionPadfoot
Summary: A woman who broke his iron philosophies concerning the word vengeance. A woman who had become as important as the three swords he so lovingly wielded. Now some bold f*ckers had decided that it was alright to put their hands on what he considered his, the word vengeance carried an entirely new meaning to him. It screamed for more than just tit for tat. it screamed for retribution.
1. Chapter 1 Retribution

Hello readers! It's been what, three years since I've last visited Fanfiction? I've decided to return to writing fanfics so I hope to see my readers again!

I decided to re-write and continue a chapter in a One Piece fanfic I found called _100 Ways to Prove that I Love You_.

The theme was the Strawhats and Zoro's reaction when Nami was assaulted. I wanted to take that content, multiply it a hundred-fold, and continue from there with my own ideas.

Credits to the author: Hanzatsu-Hime. I love the concept and wanted to use it to turn it into a story. Before any of you guys say I'm plagiarizing, **I did message the author and got his/her permission to use the theme. **

I do not own the concept nor do I own the characters! They belong to Oda (characters) and Hanzatsu-Hime (concept)!

The only thing I own is the writing style! HA!

Summary: _A woman who broke his iron philosophies concerning the word vengeance. A woman who had become as important as the three swords he so lovingly wielded. Now some bold f*ckers had decided that it would be alright to put their hands on what he considered his, the word vengeance now carried an entirely new meaning to him. It screamed for more than just tit for tat. It screamed for retribution._

**NOTE: ****_The setting of this story takes place during the Dressrosa Arc. I decided to do a few MAJOR changes to the Arc so before you read; there are some things you should be aware of. _**

**_1)_****_The entire Strawhat crew is IN DRESSROSA. Since I've decided that this fanfic will be a (ZONA) pairing, it means that Nami MUST be in Dressrosa and not stuck fighting Big Mom. _**

**_2)_****_Doflamingo WILL be defeated. Obviously not the way Oda wants him to be beaten as seen he hasn't finished the fight scene between Luffy and Doffy. Instead I'll have to get REALLY creative on how he loses since I honestly have no clue how Oda wants Doffy to lose. _**

**_3)_****_Err…Zoro's ridiculous sense of direction WILL be multiplied. That means our swordsman will somehow be able to defy all logic and physics by simply being an idiot._**

* * *

He felt so f*cking lost.

Never mind how he felt, where the hell was he anyway?

The swordsman had taken a couple of left turns, then some right, then another right before he found himself…

Now how did he manage to get out of that damn birdcage?

Scratching his false mustache, Roronoa Zoro twisted his stern expression into a frown as he inspected the web-thin wires that had the power to slice cities as easily as knife to cheese,

"How do I get back in?" he muttered. To any Dressrosa citizen trapped in the cage, it was probably the stupidest thing they heard; who'd want to look death in the eye when they've just escaped it?

The answer was simple; he was a f*cking Strawhat, he was a part of the Monster Trio…which meant that he was also an idiot.

Why was he running again? Ahh, yes how could he forget?

_Nami._

At the thought of the Strawhat navigator's name, the swordsman felt the familiar feeling of intense hatred shoot into his body. Anger so sharp it hurt became a blackening wave that threatened to overwhelm his senses as the first mate struggled to reign in his emotions. This wasn't the first time he had felt such fury run like a live wire through his body. Anger and stubborn tenacity had been his companion ever since Kuina had passed away. He had become wild as the beasts that roamed the seas, forging his path through sheer strength and a will that rivaled the former pirate king himself.

His style of living was simple; sleep, drink, train, lope off a couple of heads for a few belis, train, eat, drink, sleep some more.

Rinse. Wash. Repeat.

His life was black and white. Simple. Tolerable, and easy.

And Roronoa Zoro was perfectly fine with that… until his world exploded in a brilliant flash of colors. Colors filled with vibrant shades of scarlet red so vivid it was blinding, stained shades of murky yellow, wild colors of blue and flashes of royal purple, brown and green that he designated to each of the people that played a significant role in his life.

Yet there was one color that his mind automatically categorized as irreplaceable. A color that forced not only his mind to acknowledge it, but it also demanded that his body bend to its will. It was a color that dyed a certain female's hair in fiery shades of dazzling orange and ginger. Even now, the pads of his fingers were aching to dig themselves into those vibrant locks. Dig deep and spread wide till they encased the entire frame of her head. He would then fist his hands into her hair and tug her head back to slam his mouth over hers. It would be a kiss to punish and to drive her into a wild frenzy. He'd drag his mouth down her neck to slide those hot, open-mouth kisses that he knew would leave her writhing and screaming while his fingers migrated south to that sweet, sweet spot between those creamy…

_They touched her. _

Black fury slammed into his body as another wave of images poured into his mind.

_Red fingerprints had marked her upper and lower torso, numerous 'love bites' were scattered all over her body giving the impression that she had come down with small pox. She had gone alone to do a bit of shopping and information-seeking for their next destination and the crew had been worried to discover that she had been absent from the Sunny for more than her usual three hours. It wasn't until Usopp and Chopper's choked screams told the crew what had befallen their navigator. _

_They had carried her to the Sunny on Chopper's back with Usopp in tow. Tears and snot covered both the sniper and the doctor's face as they barged through Sunny's entrance only to be held back by the rest of the crew. The swordsman had only managed to get a glimpse of her current state and the sight burned into his mind, striking him like a whip. _

_The navigator's clothes were torn to shreds. Pale shades of groping red lay stark against her light skin. The hawaiian printed flowers on her bikini that he secretly found attractive was replaced by Usopp's shirt, the sniper's shift was long enough to cover her ass, but it couldn't conceal the handprints that stood out like a sore thumb on her thighs. _

_Those soft silky thighs that his body had been craving for… soiled._

_The navigator's fingers were gripping so tightly onto her clima-tact that her knuckles were bleached of their color._

_And the look on her face…the helpless, helpless look on her expression had become the final catalyst to the explosion of one single emotion: rage. _

_Fury rented the air like the scream of a banshee. It demanded retribution, it commanded for utter vengeance. The feeling rippled down each and every one of the crew and gave a vicious twist as it hit home; the swordsman's heart. _

_In that split second, he felt his blood boil and his hands immediately sought out the rough handles of his swords, his thumbs caressing the blunt tips as he glared daggers at the floor; he was never one for vengeance since he saw that as a stain to not only his swords but his pride. _

_Her hair, the flaming ginger locks that he longed to lose himself in were twisted and tangled into an ugly mess of knots. Dirt and – was that a boot print? – clung to her hair setting free another gut-wrenching emotion he had carefully buried away; anguish. _

_Just this once… just this once will the man allow such a tainted emotion to become his drive, just this once will he let vengeance fuel the flame in his body, turning his demeanor into a tense statue of cold, blacken ice. _

_For his sanity, for her. _

_Vengeance for the one who took a permanent residence in his heart…for her, it would be worth it._

_He never once doubted that she couldn't take care of herself. Yes there were times when she needed some rescuing from a tight spot, but she had always been able to hold her own during their battles. To see that broken look on her face made him remember the promise their captain had made to Nami's family: never let her lose her smile. _

_Just how many did she have to fend off?_

_Shusui was growling for blood, he knew it thrived on the bloodshed he drew from his opponents. Unlike the rest of his swords, this one particular sword had always hummed in pleasure, becoming a permanent extension of his arm, always purring when the razor-sharp end of its blade bit into flesh. HoweverNow, Shusui wasn't craving for just an onslaught of blood…it craved for a certain death it knew its master was more than capable of achieving. _

_The sharp sound of knuckles being cracked alerted him of his captain moving to stand in front of him. The first mate looked up to see the pitch black orbs of his captain glaring down at him in barely contained anger; complete destruction was imminent. _

_And God help any man who evoked the vengeful wrath of the Strawhats. _

Now how the hell was he going to get back into the cage? Zoro reached out to tap on a wire only to snatch his hand back with a curse; he knew the strings were sharp, but he didn't know they were _that _sharp!

Perhaps he could try cutting it? His teeth automatically set themselves around the sides of Wado and his hands gripped the handles of Shusui and Kitetsu, crossing the blades and drawing them over his head,

**"Hyakuhachi Pound Ho!" **Zoro's arms clenched as he brought all three down in a diagonal spiral, sending a sharp slash cutting through the air. Not surprisingly, his attack fell against the might of the wires leaving nothing but a puff of air in its wake.

Maybe if he walked around it long enough, he'd find a way back in? It was probably a stupid idea but he wasn't above trying it, after all, he did somehow manage to get himself out, how hard would it be to get himself back in?

Gearing himself up for a long walk around the cage, he began to walk, struggling to keep from walking in a straight line; the cage was a circle but his feet were thinking square so they wanted to keep going straight.

The swordsman's mind traveled to the distinct memories of her creamy thighs and shapely legs that he'd wrap around his hips. He'd allow one of his hands to travel down the front of her waist and from there, slide his hand over her and cup her. He knew his action would mean more than pleasuring her, it would mean that he'd have complete control of her body, absolute possession.

Nami didn't share his idea of ownership; in fact, she fought him with every part of her everytime he pulled one of his domineering stunts.

Yet she couldn't deny anything when he was inside her, outside, she bit and scratched and yowled whenever they fought. But when they were alone and his body took control of hers, the strong-willed woman turned to putty beneath his hands. She may curse and scream, but she'd always be his no matter how much she denied it.

_ "I'm not yours!" _she'd scream and he'd punish her again with a barrage of kisses, his hands would reach up to tangle themselves into her hair and he'd press his bare chest against her, mashing her breasts to him; his answer would be the hand in between her thighs…

Ehh? How did he get himself back in the cage?

* * *

**(A/N):** so i'm back guys! XD i want all of you to know that i cannot promise to be consistent with my updates...that means that there will be TONS of apologies to you readers whenever i DO manage to update. Please and thank you to those readers who've been waiting for me in some sort of vain hope that i've returned to FF.

Enjoy!

~EXPECTED UPDATE: 04/10/2015~


	2. Chapter 2 Ruin

**Ruin**

**Hello! Thank you to the reviewers for commenting! You've made my day :) Credits again to Hanzatsu Hime! Author of 100 Ways to Prove that I Love You. Thank you so much for your help in becoming my beta-ish? And taking the time to offer advise to make this story amazing!**

**DID ANYONE READ THE LATEST CHAPTER ON ONE PIECE?! IF NOT, YOU BETTER GET YOUR ASS OVER THERE AND READ. IT! I WILL NOT THROW ANY SPOILERS OUT BUT OH MY GOSH...ALL ABOARD THE F*CKING HYPE TRAIN!**

**I've always thought that Ussop and Chopper simply DO NOT have ENOUGH BATTLE SCENES! So I decided to let them star in this chapter! I hope I've kept them in character!**

_**TRIGGER WARNING!**__**:**__**I've written a scene that involves sensitive topics such as rape and I want to warn those who are sensitive to this topic to avoid this chapter. I will leave an explanation of what has transpired in this chapter in my next update. So please if you are easily affected by these topics please avoid reading this chapter. Granted that this is my first time detailing such a scene, you might not feel much needless to say, YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED. **_

**Other than that, here's the next Chapter!**

* * *

Ehh? How did he get himself back in the cage?

Zoro blinked for a span of two seconds before he shrugged and set at a jog down a narrow alley; the birdcage must've somehow moved and gotten lost.

As he ran, his mind flipped through a couple of blurred files before it regurgitated a faint memory of Ussop recounting how they found Nami and drawing some sort of map with a pencil. Through a mess of angry and hurriedly brushed-off tears, the shooter managed to sketch a detailed image of a blue-shingled building in Acacia with some sort of circus-inspired cap on the roof…or was it two caps? To the crew's surprise and rage, the structure was seated near Doflamingo's palace which to the Strawhat's first mate was one of the most ridiculous structures he had ever seen.

When the crew's doctor and sniper were sent out to look for their navigator, they had originally poked their heads –and noses – into a few shops which, according to Chopper, Nami had recently visited. After a straight 30 minutes of looking, a massive, black cloud had raised a mere hundred yards from where they were and for a split second, the area was bathe in a brilliant light of what could only be Nami's thunderbolt tempo.

When the dust cleared, Chopper's keen ears caught an ear-piercing shriek that struck the air only to be cut off followed immediately by a rowdy roar of triumph. With Ussop on the doctor's back, the duo took to the roofs, Chopper's lithe body nimbly flying over the structures before he skittered to a stop a few feet from the scene.

"Nami!"

In front of the duo eyes was the Strawhat's navigator fighting with all her might against a group of Dressrosa's rugged band of palace securities. Although several bodies lay unconscious around the flame-haired woman, more seem to appear and converge against her. It took three of them to wrestle away her clima-tact while four more had their hands all over her upper torso and the rest had their mouths over her lower limbs. To the youngest crewmate's horror, they had already ripped away the few pieces of clothing that covered her intimacy and were shrugging off their own uniforms,

"It's been awhile since we've had the opportunity to sample a woman," they were all smiling that sickening smile with the intention of doing everything and anything they wanted to her.

If anything, the expression of the navigator's face was just…beautiful. In this kind of situation, a woman would have simply cowered and whimpered in fear. Nami however, demonstrate to the male sex that she wasn't just any woman. Instead, she gave a toss of her flame-colored hair, lifted her chin and faced the men with a mad gleam in her eyes and a wicked snarl on her lips,

"That will you cost two million berries you bastards," she hissed and bared her teeth, "you ripped my favorite top and bottom which I bought for two hundred and thirty belis NOT including tax and messed up my hair that I just got cut for a hundred and ten belis," she gave them a disdainful sniff, "add that up with my one hundred and ten percent interest and that would cost you more than what your pathetic lives are worth."

A man with a knife slash down the side of his jaw stepped up and fisted her hair, jerking her head back as he pushed his bulbous nose to her,

"What do you mean **_we _**_owe you _b*tch?" the sickening humor was gone from his face as he yanked harder making her cry out in pain, "listen up and listen well, **we **_own _you now," he gave her hair a final tug before he stepped back and unfastened his belt, "now be a good little b*tch and get on your knees."

The duo was done watching, with a ground-shaking roar, Chopper's tiny frame rippled as his body engorged and enlarged into a heavily muscled beast; his eyes burned a menacing red as he dove down from the roof and gave a mighty lunge at the group of men. The fur along his arm swelled and hardened as his fists smashed against flesh, his expression twisted into some sort of dark grin at the sound of bone snapping. The doctor wasn't going to shy away from the bloodshed; he had become a monster intent on protecting those he considered precious, and he was more than happy to roar it to the skies, loud and proud. A scream broke out from the soldiers and they gave a mad scramble for their weapons only to be shot into the air by an array of bamboo shoots,

**"Midori Boshi Take Jave-rin!" **came the rallying cry as Ussop shot toward the small cluster; his fingers gripped the thick string of his slingshot as he struck again and again. He spun and slammed the butt of his staff into the soft flesh of a soldier before ducking to allow his partner leapt over him to engage with another opponent. The ship's doctor was practically vibrating in rage; it was the first time the teenager had seen an attempted rape, but to see it happen to one of his precious nakama…Chopper released another roar and leapt toward his nakama only to have three blunt ends of a gun ram the back of his head and he stumbled with a howl,

"Chopper!" Ussop yelled as he fired off another round of his beloved pop greens before he scrambled toward his companion.

"I'm fine!" the doctor shook himself and morphed his body into the long and powerful legs of a reindeer stabilized with thick, hardened horns as he charged forward.

**"DROP YOUR WEAPONS OR I'LL F*CKEN SHOOT HER!"** it was the deadly control in the soldier with the knife wound's voice that gave the youngest crewmate a pause. Chopper, lowered his horns to access the guard who held his friend captive; the man wasn't joking, he decided, he was really going to pull the trigger if he moved. The doctor glared at the guard between bared teeth,

"Return our nakama!" he shouted as the man became bolder and took another step forward dragging the navigator with him. He had a gun pushed tight against her temple while three others had their own arsenals trained at her body. He gestured at Chopper's form and Ussop's slingshot,

"You want her? Then you do what I say," he snarled and pressed the gun tighter on her head, "drop your weapons." With a curse, Ussop allowed his slingshot to fall at his feet and the reindeer let out a hiss as he reverted to his original form.

The guard smirked,

"Now that wasn't so hard was it?" he flicked his wrist and a new set of sentries rushed forward immediately cuffing the reindeer and shoving the duo to their knees, "good thing I called for back-up."

"O-oi! Let me go!" Ussop found his shoulders pinned by two pairs of hands; the third shoved his head to the ground, his cheeks scraping the dirt.

"Get off me!" Chopper shouted as he was forced to his knees, his arms and horns were held in a tight grasp as he thrashed and bucked till the smooth barrel of a gun forced him to freeze.

The scar on the man's cheek seem to gleam in perverse delight as he slid the gun against the navigators' jaw, "I enjoy a little voyeurism so I won't mind if your little friends want to watch," his fingers bit into the soft flesh of her cheek as he wretched her face up, "you cost me quite a bit of trouble young lady," he clicked his tongue as the navigator pushed her face closer only to spit,

"Let them go," her body was stiff, tension rolled off her shoulders in waves as she glared up at the man with nothing but utter disgust, "you want me? Then pay up and release them." She cast a quick glance at the duo and nonchalantly shrugged, "they don't have anything to do with this."

Captain of the Donquixote Guardia, Commander Serg shook the red haze from his eyes as he inspected her face; this woman had given him a pause, why wasn't she crying? He had hoped to hear the woman scream and beg for mercy but the female in his hands didn't even flinch. Her head was tilted up as she proudly stared him down, defiant in every sense of the word. The commander allowed his eyes to trail down the smooth column of her throat, to the tips of her full breasts and south to the soft thatch of hair between her thighs. He flicked his eyes to the remaining guards and almost felt sorry for her. Doflamingo was a ruthless tyrant; he didn't accept anything but perfect, anything less resulted in a horrific beating and expulsion from the organization. Doflamingo had for whatever reason, placed restrictions on any sexual activity among his men. Because of this, his handpicked men were all unmarried and sexually active.

The Donquixote Guardia was a small group of highly trained elites that served to protect the members of the Donquixote Family. Their methods of training were so brutal and intense that death from exhaustion wasn't a surprise. However, after four years of grueling conditioning without anything to take the edge off their sexual appetite, a male's libido can only withhold the strain from blue-balls for so long. The Donquixote Family had stressed that abstaining from sex allows the individual's willpower to strengthen and flourish, but Serg highly doubted that the Donquixote Family abided by this principal saved for maybe Lao G. Looking at his men, he saw the strained hunger in their eyes and knew they were at the end of their rope; the men needed a woman's body, and this one would have do. Serg closed his eyes for a brief second as he pulled the flame-haired woman to her feet and pushed his nose into her hair as he inhaled. He pulled back to look at her and was met with a set of flashing russet orbs clouded in fury. She was shaking, he realized as he steeled himself for the crime he and his men were about to commit; the woman was indeed brave.

Commander Rafael Serg felt the red haze that he had fought begin to rise again as he schooled his features and sucked in a quick breath before the red haze took him. The Red Haze was the terminology he and his men had created for the intense need to have sex that would occasionally come upon them. Their eyes would literally be glazed over as if they were blind and they would sometimes pass out from fighting the Haze. Once the Haze passed over, the men woke up with no recollection of what they had done, which was a respite for those who were ashamed to admit that they've given in to the Haze. During this phase most of the men locked themselves in their quarters to relieve the pain and others took to using each other for relief.

Now that there was a woman in their grasps, there was nothing to stop them from the Red Haze now clouding their eyes; all they needed was the go from their leader and they would be on her like vultures on a carcass.

Rafael Serg allowed his fingers to trail once more over the long fiery locks of her hair before he abruptly dropped his hand and spun the navigator around shoving her to her knees.

"Hands and knees," he growled as loud buzzing filled his ears and the dreaded Red Haze floated over his eyes as the Commander gave up his body to the Haze.

* * *

Nami's teeth automatically clenched as the man shoved her body to the ground, his hands grasped her hips, giving it a rough caress before he drew back his hand and brought the flat of his hand onto her ass.

"Scream b*tch," came the growl and she gritted her teeth and took it in silence; she would not scream, even if they beat and kicked her, not a sound would come from her lips.

"The b*tch isn't screaming, lemme help ya," the navigator felt her teeth grind against each other when her bottom was punished with a flurry of hard smacks that echoed in the dark corners of Dressrosa. At the immediate flash of pain, she wanted to curl up into a ball and wail. Her lower torso was throbbing by the time they grew tired of hitting her. Two pairs of hands wrapped themselves along her hair, her long, long hair and gave a hard yank, forcing her head back.

_Do. Not. Cry. _

That was impossible, her head screamed in pain and a wave of tears clouded over her eyes before she sucked her lower lip between her teeth. A heavy body practically fell on top of her and Nami choked, her throat worked furiously as she struggled not to let a sound escape.

_Do. Not. Scream. _

Their hands attached themselves to her breasts, fingertips rolling and pinching at her nipples with such violent vigor she had no doubt that it would leave a mark. Nami fought to keep her expression neutral when they began to slide their mouths over her breasts, fought to keep her emotions from overwhelming her as she watched their throats convulse as their teeth bit into her tender flesh,

"This one's tough Captain, I wonder how long will it take will we break her," Nami forced herself not to turn away from the two cocks thrusted in her face. The one closest to her shoved himself against her cheek, the tip prodded her skin, his seed already leaking from the tip smearing it onto her cheek,

"Suck it b*tch," for a brief second, the navigator debated the possibility of escaping her fate before her jaw was forcefully wretched open and she gagged as the man shoved his cock into her mouth, his hands grasped the back of her head as he pumped himself into her mouth.

Everything burned, her eyes watered as her throat tried to reject him. Her lungs screamed for air and she was force to breathe through her nose.

_Do. Not – _

Nami let out a warbled screamed as the Captain of the group pulled open her thighs and plunged into her. The idea of him inside her switched her body on flight mode. She began to thrash against the hands gripping her body, her mouth stayed resolutely shut as she continued to fight him. The commander have a harsh grunt of displeasure before his hand struck her cheek and she froze, her lungs burning from the massive effort it took not to burst into tears. He grunted and slid beneath her body forcing his way between her thighs. This time, the navigator couldn't hold back a sharp cry as the man hammered into her, his hipbones smashed against hers bringing a fresh wave of tears in her eyes. She felt a few men withdraw their bruising grip on her and nearly collapsed in relief.

What if the rest of the crew saw her like this? Nami winced at the thought. Luffy would tear the entire city apart with this bare hands, Sanji, the lovesick cook would burn with so much rage that he'd obliterate everything in his path. Robin - Nami shuddered as a guard pushed his member into her body – the beautiful archeologist would be one of the calmest although her pierce eyes said otherwise as she twisted the necks of her opponents with calm efficiency. Franky and Brooke would be a tank, ripping a path of death and destruction. They'd wipe the last vestiges of the city and turn it to nothing but rubble.

And…Zoro, her breath hitched and her chin began to tremble, dark brown eyes glistening with unshed tears. Would he even be able to look at her the same way? Will her defilement turn him away from her? The revelation struck her with the force of a boulder; he'd never see her as the strong-willed woman who fought with him for two years. Instead, he'd see the broken shell of her. He'd treat her like some porcelain doll; handle her as if she would break any second.

"Com'on b*tch take it! Take it like the whore you are!" Nami felt her body give a last shudder before it gave in to the invasion, taking it to prevent any more damage. The Captain had released her from his assault, his seed mixed with the other guard's essences as they spilled onto the cobbled stone. Groans of pleasure filled the air as each of the men reached their peak before they collapsed around her in exhaustion. Between bleary eyes, she saw something red recede from each of their faces and the excruciating throbbing returned twofold.

This was a living nightmare, she closed her eyes when she heard Chopper scream and her head was suddenly pushed into the open. At her name, her head automatically turned to the sound and she saw her nakama kneeling on the ground, staring at straight at her, raging fury in their eyes as they were forced to watch.

This was wrong, Chopper was too young to see this. A measure of strength welled in her aching body and Nami tucked her bottom lip back into her mouth, biting down with renewed vengeance; for her nakama, she would not scream, for her nakama…

She would do anything.

She would be strong, even as her betraying tears fell down her face, she would be strong.

"Why won't you cry some more b*tch? Huh? What will it take to make you cry some more?" her head was grabbed once more, thick fingers squeezing, branding into her scalp and she felt the ground rush toward her as her cheek smashed onto the ground.

_I. Am. Strong._

Her head was airborne for a second before the hand smacked her face down once more. Her teeth dug into her lower lip, biting, biting so hard until she broke skin. Blood ran free down her chin, dripping into the ground as her face slapped against the ground, pulling back only to have her face streaked with a mixture of blood and dirt.

_I. Must. Be. Strong. _Chopper's cries reverberated in her ears, pushing past the moans surrounding her as the men shoved her body to the ground, her thighs were pushed open and four fingers forced themselves into her body, grunting with sickening pleasure as they fingered her. Nami shut her eyes as she took in another soldier's cock, her stomach churned and threatened to purge. The tears streaming down the youngest crew member's face had her fighting now to burst into a fit of tears; the little boy needed to see her strong, her precious nakama needed the reassurance that she could go through the ordeal with her head held high.

Nami allowed her gaze to linger onto the doctors before she closed her eyes when a hand grabbed her shoulder pulling her back in. Because of them, she would go through hell and back to protect them. They had fought for her and alongside her when she needed help. They were always there when she needed them most. While the term 'weak trio' had a negative connotation, it was a dear word to her. To her, it was a promise of unbreakable friendship.

_I. Must_….there was a hoarse yell and something fell a few inches from her face before it exploded into a cloud of gas,

_"Ussop…" _was her last thought before her eyes slipped shut and she knew no more.

* * *

**"CHOPPER DON'T LOOK!"** The reindeer could barely hear Ussop's yelling over the buzzing in his ears as he watched in traumatized horror as the rest of the soldiers fell on Nami. Beside him, Ussop began fighting against his captive and he was aware of the sniper struggling to free his arms,

**"FOR GODSAKE COVER HIS EYES! HE'S ONLY A KID!" **Ussop's shout wretched the doctor from his haze as he gazed at the men in front of him with helpless fury.

_Two men grabbed her from behind, pulling her body to them as they pounded her from behind. Three got on their knees to watch, their hands roaming and groping, mouths laving over her pale skin while someone had her face wretched toward his…_

**"NAMIIIIIIII!" **he began to cry, screaming as thick tears rolled down his fur-covered cheeks. Chopper kicked at the man restraining his arms and only to sag back to the ground; the sea stone cuffs were weighing on him. In the midst of the tumble of naked arms and legs, he saw his nakama's head thrust out from the group, her head automatically rolled to face him and he was shocked to see her expression turn to stone. Stray tears seeped down her cheeks, flashing shining brown eyes blazing in pain and dull anger. She had her bottom lip between her teeth, biting so that she wouldn't make a sound.

_The commander of the group had his large body beneath her, his hips jerked and there were several loud groans as they came. The smell of sweat burned his nose and stung his eyes as a wave of nausea overwhelmed his senses. Grunts and moans filled the air and he felt the man holding him prisoner tremble…_

Chopper watched as Nami's long hair give a jerk and she was yanked back into the group only to appear again as one of the men roughly pushed her cheek to the dirt. Chopper screeched again when he saw her open her mouth and bite down on her lip.

_"_**STOP IT!" **he thrashed again when he saw blood dribble down her chin as she bit down even harder, her eyes squeezed shut as her head was lifted and smashed to the ground again. There was a scuffle next to him followed by a choked cry as Ussop managed to free his arms and lash his foot to the man's crotch.

"Chopper!" Ussop ducked past the guard's swing and snatched his slingshot from the floor jabbing the end on the man's vitals. Within seconds, the sniper had the keys in his hands and was already unlocking the doctor's cuffs, pushing the reindeer to a stand. Chopper stumbled forward and toppled over to throw up.

"**BAKUSUI BOSHI!" **a pellet flew in the air toward the group of guards and exploded into a spread of gas that immediately had the men crumbling to their knees. "Come on Chopper! We need to get Nami!" The doctor was still heaving as he sucked in another breath before giving a wobbly nod of his head. Another tremble and the devil fruit user altered his body into his human form. Holding their breath, they dove into the gas-filled area, staggering back when they found her.

Nami was tangled in a mass of limbs as the duo drag the limp arms and legs out of their way before carefully, tenderly lifting her and cradling her into Chopper's large body. Without another word, they turned and ran only pausing so that Ussop could grab the navigator's Clima-Tact. Their feet slapped the flat stones as they continued to run before they turned into a deserted alley and stopped,

"Hold on, she needs something to cover her up," Ussop quickly unstrapped his shoulder-belt and pulled off his shirt, cautiously maneuvering Nami's arms so that he could settle his shirt over her body. Nausea threatened to rise and Ussop turned and pressed his forehead against the wall to breathe.

"U-us-sop-p-u…i-i-i-i-i-is N-nam-mi g-g-g-g-g-o-o-o-oing-g t-to b-b-e o-ok-kay-y?" The sniper swallowed his own tears before looking up into the miserable tears of the fifteen year old who was holding onto the navigator like his life depended on it.

"I don't know Chopper," he said softly, his hand reached out to touch Nami's bruised arm, "I don't know." Tears pricked his eyes and his throat burned as the sniper swiped at his eyes and turned…

"Ussop?" the faint whisper of his name sounded like the blare of a foghorn and the man spun around with a yell and his eyes bugged out when he saw Nami open her eyes and blink,

**"NAMIIIII!" **it was a thundering cry of relief and joy as the duo lowered their heads to greet her. Chopper was a mess of tears and snot dripping from his nose and Ussop had a hard time fighting the onslaught of tears tumbling down his cheeks,

"N-need, Clima…" her arm went up only to fall in faint as the navigator's head lolled against the doctor's arm,

"You're looking for your Clima-Tact? It's right here," the sniper quickly pulled out his crewmates' beloved weapon of choice and gently folded her hands over the staff. He watched as Nami gripped her staff, pulling it slightly towards her body before she gave him a weak smile and a mouth of thanks.

Ussop marched toward the ship, his mouth set in a firm line and he clenched his teeth when the tears began to flow as he followed Chopper up the ramp and into the Sunny; once Nami was in the ship, the Strawhats would have their revenge, and there wasn't a bone in his body that wasn't ready to go back and tear her enemies apart. The duo had retreated once, now they're coming back, and this time…

They're coming back with reinforcements.

_"Rest Nami. My eight thousand men…no…my crewmates and i…we'll take care of this."_

**_(A/N): Thank you so much for reading guys! _**

**_Expected Updates: _**

**_Retribution: _**

**_Scorching Heat of Summer: _**


	3. Chapter 3 Reversed

**Reversed**

**I apologize for being late for this chapter *bows* i waited till end of school so i could make time to get back into writing. Thank you for your patience.**

**Credits again to Hanzatsu Hime! Author of 100 Ways to Prove that I Love You.**

**If anyone didn't or wasn't able to read Chapter 2: Ruin, allow me to give you a quick summary...**

**Nami has been assaulted and raped under the hands of Doflamingo's Executive's Guards the Donquixote Guardia. Did i make that up? Yes i did. The Donquixote are basically the Executive's personal guards. They are withheld from any sexual activity throughout their occupation and are all unmarried and sexually active. There is something called the Red Haze which is basically a 'red haze' that clouds over the Guardia's eyes. In Chapter 2, i described it as:**

_**"The Red Haze was the terminology he and his men had created for the intense need to have sex that would occasionally come upon them. Their eyes would literally be glazed over as if they were blind and they would sometimes pass out from fighting the Haze. Once the Haze passed over, the men woke up with no recollection of what they had done, which was a respite for those who were ashamed to admit that they've given in to the Haze. During this phase most of the men locked themselves in their quarters to relieve the pain and others took to using each other for relief."**_

**The Donquixote Guardia will soon be introduced in later chapters (^_^) i hope this explanation wasn't confusing and it covers the entire Chapter 2. If you have any questions, feel free to message or pm me!**

**Now! Onto Chapter 3!**

* * *

Zoro felt a bone-shaking thud echo behind him, his hand immediately flew to the handles of his swords and he spun around to block the heavy screech of his attacker's blade,

"Roronoa Zoro!" the man barely had a chance to choke out the swordsman's name before the poor fellow was promptly spun around and smashed to the ground with an impatient backhanded blow to the head.

Why was it taking so long to get to the middle of the city? The towering building loomed overhead like a glowing beacon and for some reason; he _still _couldn't seem to get any closer to the infrastructure. Aside from the screams echoing around him that were beginning to irritate his ears; his precious crewmate was laying lifeless back in safety of the sunny while he and the majority of his crew wrecked havoc onto the city of Dressrosa.

The citizens, to him, he deemed as innocent.

The fate of the palace guards or any soldiers for that matter; remained an open question.

Like an enraged beast, he plowed through the waves of steel blades, deflecting any stray bullets trained on him. The stupid flamingo though it would be fun to pin a star or two onto his name along with a reward for his capture making the so-called innocent citizens of Dressrosa more than just collateral damage. He ran up a set of stairs only to curse as his arms rose to block the sharp ends of iron shovels and pickaxes with the blunt edge of his blades,

"Get the chains!" Zoro felt his scarred eye give a twitch in annoyance when a few sneaky bastards managed to wrap thick chains over his ill-begotten foot,

"Got 'im!" one of them grunted and the swordsman cursed when he felt the chain give a jerk as he tripped on the wooden stairs. "tie him up boys!" Now he was beginning to feel incredibly exasperated; did they really think they had a chance to truss up a 120 million beli pirate? Ha! Not likely. Air sucked into his lungs as he inhaled and with a huge burst of sheer power and strength, curled his wrists over the twin length of chains on opposite ends of his torso and pulled. There was a series of startled shouts and frantic scrambles as the men tried to right themselves only to be thrown over the swordsman's head.

"What the hell is he?!" one shrieked before he was elbowed off the stairs and out of the way as Zoro thundered his way up the staircase and found himself on the rooftop of the building,

"Where am I?" he muttered and swore he could hear his swords snicker at him; the swordsman had been trailing after that stupid, volcanic-erupting cook and had managed to keep up with the human torch until he suddenly leaped into the air with a yell of, "DIE YOU BASTARDS!" and 'air-walked' out of his sight.

Now it has come to the Strawhat's attention – saved for maybe their captain – that Zoro was in complete denial of his lack of direction. Maybe because his justification was that they didn't give better directions, or that they were the ones who was lost. Maybe it was because they lost count how many times he had lost his way in the Sunny and wounded up sleeping in the kitchen rather than the men's room, or accidentally putting rinsed plates to his left rather than his right resulting in breaking a good amount of plates forcing the disgruntled cook to swap most of their dishware to plastic, the crew even caught him rifling through his drawers once muttering, "wasn't the beer in here?" Chopper had diagnosed the poor man with direction dyslexia and set out on a long series of conducting experiments in hopes to correct him. Meanwhile, the crew had tried to make sure that someone was glued to the swordsman's side no matter how much he protested.

In the corner of his eye, he caught the familiar flash of white capes and yellow and orange armour that had him curling his lips in a feral grin and leaping off the three-story building to land with almost catlike grace smack dab in front of a group of Dressrosa sentries on the move. There was a loud yell as the men in the foremost row skidded to a stop, jostling the rest of the bunch as they righted themselves.

Now imagine yourself in one of the soldier's shoes err…boots. Let's say you were in the hmm…how about second row left side and right snug in the middle. You're six feet and you've got a nice dark tan with broad shoulders and you're sporting a gladiator helmet along with your white superhero cape and uniform. So you and your group of 12 are jogging down the street, pushing people aside with your spears while looking to arrest the eight people that have rebelled against your king. All of a sudden, something tall and black lands right in front of the row in front of you and you find your poor nose smashed against someone's shoulder before you bounce back to your feet. Before your mind can even right itself and curse at the person for hurting your nose, all you can see is this huge, fake mustache and feel something black and soft brush against your arms before your spear is sliced neatly in half and red heat slashes across your chest splitting your armor and cutting into your chest.

In seconds, you're joining your brethren in hoards cries of shock and pain as the ground rushes towards you and everything goes black

* * *

"You played the hand that you were dealt, you dug your grave, now lay in it," Zoro whispered as the swordsman tugged his collar and cracked his neck before sinking once more down beside a soldier in among the fallen who he guessed as the leader of the group,

"Which way is palace?" he asked and the man managed to turn his head and spit on him,

"Go to hell!" he gasped as he came face to face with the larger than life demon whose captain wrecked havoc in an all out battle for the best. It was a miracle that he didn't straight up pee in his pants at the monstrosity in front of him.

Zoro refrained from rolling his good eye; how difficult was it to ask for directions? He was getting a little sick of the banshee screams and batting away weapons and people who were out for his ass. Heck he was even nice enough to use the dull end of his blades of this little groupie with the motive to get some directions and the little bastard couldn't even stop his teeth from chattering and his tear ducts from leaking. With a sigh, the swordsman bent even lower till his nice mustache - that he secretly enjoyed stroking- was inches away from the captain's visibly trembling nose; his patience was already dangerously thin and if the man didn't hurry up and tell him where the palace was, things were going to get bloody,

"Palace," he growled and the man swallowed once before answering,

"S-straight d-down that a-alley," he sniffled and gave a little shriek when Zoro let out a frustrated hiss,

"No, no, no you can't give me directions like that," he snapped and squatted all the more closer, "you've gotta point and tell me to go left or right man," the captain sniffled once more,

"B-but it's s-strai-" Zoro snatched his wrist and jerked it in the air,

"LEFT?!" he swung the poor man's arm right nearly popping his shoulder, "OR RIGHT?!" he yanked at his arm the opposite direction indicated. A now completely terrified finger trained to the swordsman's right and he dropped his arm with a sigh,

"Thank. You." He stood up and slipped be swords back into his coat before jogging away,

_"__W-wait,"_ the guard thought as he watched the man's back rapidly get smaller,

_"__Y-your going the wrong way."_

_**(A/N): Thank you for reading! Comments and Critiques are welcomed!**_

_**Expected Update:**_

_**Retribution: 06/26/15**_

_**Scorching Heat of Summer: **_


	4. Chapter 4 Respite

**Respite**

**Credits again to Hanzatsu Hime! Author of 100 Ways to Prove that I Love You.**

**I want to thank Hanzatsu Hime for doing more than just allow me to use her concept. She's now my self-proclaimed Beta and i have no way to thank her for helping me with this fanfic! A BIG THANK - FREAKIN' - YOU TO HER!**

**A Huge THANK YOU to these reviewers!**

**HatakeHinata :** You enjoyed this? Me happy** (OwO)**

**valentina14:** You've read** Hanzatsu-Hime-san's** work too! Awsome! Isn't she amazing? Thank you for reading!

**Brokenbutstillst:** I've updated! Don't worry, i'll make sure Nami** -** wait, i'll be spoiling things for you so um...don't worry! Be happy!

**Rina:** I actually went to google translate to understand and you know what? Google translate didn't translate well enough so i apologize. I dd get the end part so yes! Thank you!

**Joy-girl: **We all needed that comic relief. I needed it too lols. I'm sorry that the previous chapter was intense but i had the author of this concept advise me to put the most "in-depth descriptions of Nami's suffering" and i think this was the best way to write this chapter.

**hijikata-party:** i got a little bit confused when i read your review; you don't want Sanji to get mad?

**Sanji: "YOU DON'T WANT ME TO KICK THESE BASTARD'S ASS? YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE ME BLOW UP AND USE THESE LEGS THAT I'VE TRAINED IN HELL FOR TWO YEARS?!"**

**Author: **"...well, you heard him..." in all seriousness i don't think this story can go without our love chef (haha) he plays a part as a comic relief and at the same time a matchmaker in this fic so i'm sorry if you don't like him but although he may be an idiot, he's important **(^_^)** Thank you for reading!

**Author: **"And now, i give you -!"

*Slap*

**Nami: **"Just shut-up and let them read in peace!"

**Author: *rubs head* "**I SUGGEST YOU ALL LISTEN TO THE SONG** 'SO IST ES IMMER_'_ **AS YOU READ THIS! IT'S A BEAUTIFUL GERMAN PIECE THAT I CAN SEE BROOK SINGING!" YOHOHOHOHOHOHO!

* * *

The sound of water dripping into a bowl and a warm, damp cloth gently running over her tender skin had Nami cracking blurry and aching eyes which were thankful for the dim light as she tried to shift her head up to see her surroundings. A cool, bony hand pressed against her shoulder pushing her gently back down,

"Nami-san," large, fat tears rolled down the Strawhat's musician hallowed cheeks has Brook did his best to keep his waterfall of tears from splashing onto the navigator's limp arm,

"Doctor-san! She's awake!" the empty depths of his eyes seem to glow in delight a he rose to his full height – an impressive 9 ft – his violin seem to leap into his arms as he pulled a soft, soothing melody from the instrument he wielded with the care of lover.

_The chairs lie so close,__  
We talk all night long,  
This lower room isn't bad  
We understand each other well,  
Just like it always is, this is just our light,  
We drink and sing, we welcome tomorrow  
Just like it always is, under the enormous sky,  
We live together, the night is long,  
The stars don't shine,_

"Nami! No Nami! You must stay in bed! Don't try to get up! You're going to open your wounds again if you do!" The ship's doctor immediately shifted into his human form as he quickly maneuvered the navigator's body back under the covers,

"Chopper I need to –" Nami collapsed back onto the bed in a coughing fit, gasping as she gritted her teeth against a wave of pain that spike over her body. Her body ached all over and she managed to lift her hands to see the reminiscence of scratch marks and the fading print of fingers branding her arms. Still trembling, the navigator slowly lifted her body to a trembling elbow and tugged the blanket covering her chest. Nami breathed in once and looked. Hand prints further covered her body, bite marks littered her upper torso and she drew the covers back up, breathing hard to hold the feeling of disgust welling up.

The right side of her face was beginning to throb and the navigator reached up to feel a bandage plastered over the entire side of her face. It was only then when it struck her that she could only see things from her left side.

Bile rose in her throat.

In the corner of her eye, The reindeer scampered over to his desk only to come back with a small needle attached to a tiny bottle filled with an iodine-colored liquid,

"Give me your arm; I'm going to inject a bit of morphine into your bloodstream to dull the pain," Chopper reached over to tuck the needle beneath her skin when Nami suddenly gasped and jerked her arm back,

"No! Don't put anything in me, I-i want to feel the pain," her vision wavered for a second as she struggled to pull herself together; she'd use this pain to remember that she was still alive, that even if they defiled her to the point where her body was black and blue, she'd recover and bear these scars as a medal of honor...wait a minute, Nami frowned as she accessed the wounds on her arms and tried not to flinch and show her discomfort; she lied, she didn't _want _scars marring her body, she already covered one with her tattoo, how was she going to cover the marks that might never fade? Moreover, the area between her thighs had begun to scream in pain indicating just how badly she was injured. Chopper caught the wince and cast a worried glance at her,

"You won't be able to walk for a few days," he said softly as he returned to his desk to disassemble the syringe. Nami grimaced and nodded; she couldn't even lift her body even if she wanted to. The navigator bit back a scream of rage at the helplessness that threatened to overwhelm her; she _hated _feeling powerless, the utter lack of control of her body made her want to rage at the loss of that control. Suddenly, her leg spasmed, sending the navigator buckling forward to grab the injured leg only to realize that her arms weren't responding to her command.

The navigator let out a scream from the pain and frustration and the music abruptly cut off as both Brook and Chopper rushed to her, their expressions alarmed,

"Cramp," she hissed and both doctor and musician heaved a sigh as the reindeer pulled the blanket back from the leg she indicated and worked on massaging the stiffened tendon on her calf.

"Try not to move too much Nami," he murmured, "you don't want the morphine so you're body is trying to use the pain to recover," the navigator clenched and nodded before sagging back with a sigh of relief,

"Thank you," she whispered.

_You can't see the moon in this city,__  
We looked at the light itself,  
Singing under the starry sea_

Another though shot through her mind forcing her to sit up so fast it made her head spin as her vision took another hit,

"Nami!" an exasperated Chopper worked strong fingers into her hair gently but firmly massaging her throbbing temples as Brook settled himself in a corner and continued to draw his bow,

"Chopper! Did they… you know…when they…" she trailed off weakly as she watched the doctor wipe the sweat on her brow with a wet cloth,

"You just woke up from a fever and I can't say that it was possible that all of them completely pulled out. I've already collected the evidence from your thighs and processed it so we know who exactly did it." The sweet little reindeer's adorable face, for a second, morphed into a frightening expression with curled nose and bared teeth,

"The captains out for blood, _we _are all out for blood," he fisted his hands as he continued to pat her body down,

"Are you on some sort of birth-control pill Nami?" When the navigator shook her head, the doctor shifted uncomfortably to the side, "how are your cycles?"

"I got it when I was 15, I know it's a pretty late for a normal girl but ever since then, my cycles have been highly irregular." She shrugged and winced, "I never thought too much about it though, I mean, everyone is a little different so…" she regarded the doctor with her good eye,

"Does that mean-" Nami forced her head down to the blanket covering her stomach in horror; no, it wasn't possible. A large hand covered the area over her stomach and she looked up to see that the doctor's face was infuriatingly calm,

"No that does not mean you're pregnant," his tone brooked no argument as he moved back to his desk, "since your cycles are highly irregular, there's a chance that you're on an off day meaning there is a lower probability of you getting pregnant." Chopper turned back with a small, white pill cupped in his large hand, "Just in case, I'm putting you on birth-control pills to make sure there is an even less chance and help you regulate your cycles." He stuck a straw into the cup and popped the pill in her mouth, washing down the capsule with water.

Relief flooded through the woman's body and her heart slowed down its regular rhythm; she knew she wasn't completely out of the danger zone yet but if there was a possibility that she was…

"Robin?" Nami asked and Chopper shook his head, "she refused to stay behind to watch over you," he couldn't stop a shiver from running down his fur, "you should've seen her face Nami, I've never seen her like this before, she was so angry she nearly broke the door down on her way out."

"Oh," Nami felt a small smile tug at her cheeks, "they better pay me back the money I spent for my clothes and the medical costs for what they've done." She leaned back into the pillow with a small sigh as she worked on blurring out the pain, allowing Brook's music to wash over her,

_Chairs so close and room so small__  
You and I talk all the night long  
Meager this space but serves us so well  
We comrades have stories to tell  
And it's always like that in the evening time  
We drink and we sing when our fighting is done  
And it's always so we live under the burnt clouds_

Beyond the safety of the ship, a chaotic mess of screams and thundering rumbles of buildings and foundations collapsing convoyed by a familiar roar that reverberated around the entire city of Dressrosa. Nami felt something inside her settle as she made herself more comfortable in the bed. Another earth-shaking bellow accompanied by a chorus of frantic screams had her grinning like an idiot,

_"That's my captain," _she thought blearily as she once more tuned her ears to Brook's music,

_Ease our burden, long is the night__  
Just as no stars can be seen  
We are stars and we'll beam on our town  
We must all gather as one  
Sing with hope and the fear will be gone._

She was going to be fine, she was going to heal from her wounds and come back all the more stronger, yes there was a part of her that would always and forever be weary around men, but she'd be fine, she was going to be just _fine_. Nami tucked her nose beneath the covers and inhaled the scent of lemons; she didn't know how she was going to react around _him. _Her body would never forget the abuse it took and she cursed at the uncertainty of their relationship. How would he cope with the idea that she had been violated by more than one man? How would she feel if he tried to touch her? Nami swallowed hard and tears on the verge of spilling over; can she do it? Can she really completely heal from the inside?

Could he heal her? Would he be able to understand? The man didn't have much of a grasp on women in general, let alone understand how to act around an assaulted woman. The navigator closed her eyes and quickly wiped the first glimpse of tears away from her cheek, her left eye narrowed and the right section of her face twitched in response; she'd pull herself together, for him and her crew, she'd do her damnest.

_We must all gather as one__  
Sing with hope and the fear will be gone._

_(Song: So ist es immer)_

* * *

**_It was shorter than I anticipated so I apologize *bows* i didn't want to put in the rest of what I had already written because it didn't feel right to end it that way if I added the next bit. _**

**_Thank you for reading! Comments and Critiques are welcomed!_**

**_Expected Update:_**

**_Retribution: 06/29/15_**


	5. Chapter 5 Realize

**Realize**

**So i felt a bit guilty that one chapter a week wasn't enough and i was already working on the next two week's chapter so i decided; what the heck, why not put in two chapters a week since it's summer? So, here you go! The next update to Retribution!**

**Credits again to Hanzatsu-Hime for helping me and giving me gold-worthy advice for this story!**

* * *

Chopper quietly shut the door muting Brook's playing as he made his way back to his office. Inside, he set to work, pulling out the DNA Monitor that held the slide samples filled with the perpetrator's body fluids. The next few minutes were filled with the sound of fingers flying over the keyboard as the doctor processed, filed and shelved the information that sprung across the desktop screen, his fingers tapping impatiently on the counter as he waited for the pictures to come up.

He was old enough to know what assault meant, but he was definitely _not_ ready to visually experience it. The poor reindeer was entirely shaken from the ordeal he had witnessed, and it had taken all the courage in his little body to shake himself out of it and focus on the person who needed his full attention.

"Hurry, hurry," he muttered and gave a sigh of relief when the desired pictures began popping up. Twelve clear photos containing each of the guard's names, DOB, occupation and blood-types outlined the images now stacked in a safe bundle in the doctor's arms. His blue-nose twitched and flared as he took deep breaths in calm himself down from the sudden flash of anger that shot up in his throat. Even though he longed to join his nakamas in dishing out revenge for violating his navigator, treating his patient came first. He was a doctor. That meant taking care of Nami came first and foremost, she was his top priority.

In truth, Chopper was unsure of the chances of Nami becoming pregnant. After all, it took time and equipment which he did not possess. Of all things he had brought with him, the doctor did not foreshadow _any _of this happening to his _crewmates. _He had rape kits stocked to help women _outside _of the Strawhats and so the fact that the assault happened to Nami had blown him completely off kilter. In any case, he was more than ready to do his best to make sure the chances were slim to none. At the moment, all he could do was monitor the navigator's body and record and follow her progress. What he was more worried about was how she was going to recover from all this. The doctor had no doubts that Nami was a strong woman. However, he knew enough about rape victims to know that working her way to recovery was a delicate and careful process that required proper treatment from the crew in aiding the woman in repairing her mental and physical barriers. Chopper knew from Nami's aggravated scream that she was angry for the lack of control over herself. She wouldn't accept pity from anyone and he knew from her aggressive personality that she would rather lash out than cower in order to hide her fear.

The doctor shook his head; it was his job to help her recover, and he'd make sure she was in tip top shape.

Now that she was resting and her vitals and health were secure, he was allowed to let his monster out of the cage. After a quick word with Brook and a promise to be back, Chopper practically flew out of the ship, photos tucked in his mouth as he galloped toward the falling city.

Dressrosa would burn; he'd make sure of it.

Inside, the all-consuming pandemonium rang around his sensitive ears. Long, lean legs bunched themselves up into a half crouch before springing with the grace and steadiness of a mountain ram onto the roof of a dwelling. Chopper scanned his surroundings, his furry brows pulled together as he swept his gaze over the tops of the roofs before landing onto the reason for his anger; the main palace.

_Revenge. _He nosed his way into his pouch, dropping the stack of photos for a moment to grasp a yellow ball the size of a quarter between his teeth. _Destruction. _His teeth closed over the ball, applying pressure, strong jaws clamped tightly together pressing down even harder till the ball broke apart with an audible crack. The pieces of the medicine worked its way down his throat as it disintegrated, enlarging his innards, expanding his lungs, lengthening his muzzle, his limbs and torso. He barely managed to carefully snag the photos before his body shot up into the clouds, the enormous weight of his bulk immediately crushing the building.

With a deafening bellow that shook the heavens, the doctor leaped down to the ground, minding the citizens beneath his hefty feet,

**"DOFLAMINGO!"** was the rallying roar as he began to storm his way to the building; oh he was going to make sure the palace guards got a taste of their own medicine, but he knew who was the real mastermind behind everything. The pink, fleshy thing sitting smugly on his throne was going to pay for it.

As Chopper stated before; the only reason he allowed his most feared beast out of its cage, was that he was becoming a beast for the sake of the people who had become the reason and the dream he'd now happily stake his life on.

_If he was going to become a monster, then he'd make damn sure he'd be the scariest monster Dressrosa had ever seen._

* * *

**"F*CK YOU BASTARDS!"** A mad whirlwind of flames and red hot patent soles punched through the toy's hard armor burning through the inanimate object as it clattered to the ground in blackened pieces. A huge yell swept through the crowded streets as a cloud of the city's soldiers raced for the enraged cook, their spears glinted off the sunlight and the flames.

**"AAAAHHHH!"** the man was burning, flames licked over his black suit, flipping the ends of his hair up revealing both curled eyebrows that too burst into flames.

**"I'LL BURN ALL OF YOU SHITHEADS AND SAUTE YOUR F*CKING INNARDS AND STUFF THEM UP YOUR ASS!"** the cook was too angry to even care if his threat made any sense as he shot up like a bullet into the sky, his right shin shone and smoked to a blistering hot flame before he aimed down at the group below and lashed out. The air in front of him sizzled as the chef flew into a kicking frenzy, his legs struck out with the speed and strength of a machine gun, stabbing straight into their bodies, burning away both clothes and flesh. A chorus of screams rented the air; the smell of burnt flesh scorched the atmosphere as the armed forces fell to the ground clutching the places where his foot struck,

"H-he's a freakin monster!" one gasped as he struggled to get back to his feet,

**"WHO GAVE YOU PERMISSION TO GET UP!?"** The heel of a leather shoe smashed onto his temple, burning the area around his unprotected skin and the man instantly collapsed to the floor unconscious.

"Call for back-up!" another one shrieked when his cape caught on fire and he was sent rolling down the street in the form of a flaming ball.

**"YOU TOUCHED HER YOU LITTLE SHITS!"** The Strawhat's cook was a stomping-mad human torch that lighted up inner part of Dressrosa. Sanji chomped down even harder on the end of his cigarette as he leaped back to the clouds rearing his leg back as he made his way over to the palace; the bastards were working for the one man who lived long enough. The blonde had felt that all-consuming rage that fueled the already simmering fire in his body as he watched with poorly contained fury as Ussop and Chopper carried his most respected, most loved, most desired, precious and beautiful navigator into the doctor's office. Now that his dear Nami-swan had been forcefully dragged into the fray, his anger had reached volcanic levels on the verge of exploding as –

Why. The F*ck. Now?

**"OI! YOU STUPID SHIT FOR BRAINS MARIMO! WHERE THE F*CK DO YOU THINK YOU'RE GOING?!"** Sanji dug his heels into the roof tiles as he stared down in comic disbelief as the swordsmen sped below him. Zoro skidded to a stop in surprise and he looked around for the one who called his name.

Emerald green eyes clashed with sapphire blue and a completely different kind of fire burned between them.

"Oi, shitty marimo," Sanji growled as he bent even further down to shoot the swordsman a blistering glare, "I asked you where the hell do you think you're going?" Zoro looked completely affronted as he jerked his thumb the opposite direction of the palace,

"What do you think Nosebleed? I'm going to the f*cking palace!" he growled as he gave the cook his back and continued running down the street. Sanji heaved a sigh, the flames fanning a bit as he pulled out his lighter to place the tip of the flame beneath the end of his cigarette,

"Doflamingo is the other way," he sighed, watching with mild amusement as the swordsman gave a little jerk before he stiffly turned around and headed back the way he came from,

"I knew that," he snapped, "If you hadn't gotten us lost we might've gotten there already!" A vein popped up above the chef's nicely drawn brows as he leapt over onto another house while keeping pace with the swordsman,

"What the hell are you blabbering about?" He hissed as he swerved to avoid a jutted chimney, "Me? Lost? Ha! That's rich coming from someone who gets lost on a straight f*cking road! You wouldn't have even managed to even set foot into Dressrosa if it wasn't for me!" And it was true; as soon as the crew had stormed off the ship, the swordsman had only kept up with the group till they split up on Luffy's orders. When the split was initiated, he had somehow, managed to make his way _around _half of the island before looping _back _to the ship. It took a great deal of cursing and scuffling between cook and crewmate till Sanji kicked the man's directionless ass onto the front steps of Dressrosa.

"I meant exactly what I said dumbass! Who was the one who decided that it would be fun to run over and kick a group of soldiers for shits and giggles_?! _You could've just ignored them and kept going!" Zoro's fingers were sliding his swords out of their sheaths and the cook knew just how badly the man wanted to cut him because he was feeling the same damn thing,

"They all deserve to be hung by their intestines! They harmed our nakama! No! They did more than just that! They f*cked her up! They f*cked her up physically, mentally and emotionally!" The chef stopped to look at the swordsman dead in the eye, "She's hurting marimo, doesn't that mean anything to you at all?"

When the appropriate response never came, Sanji all but flung his cigarette at the fool; did he not feel what any man should feel when his woman was beaten? Out of all the Strawhats, _he _was the one who should be gunning for revenge! It royally pissed the chef off when he discovered that Zoro was chasing after the person he not only saw as a sexy woman who should be treated as a queen of the highest authority, but also as a woman who needed a man who could understand her needs and concerns. Zoro was none of that and that's what irritated the cook the most. The caveman was brash and had little to no interest in women. Sanji didn't know the man's history with woman but if anything; the idiot did _not _check _any _of his queen's boyfriend-to-be categories. What infuriated Sanji the most however was that Zoro was _winning _Nami's affections.

The chef had watched with careful eyes how the marimo gradually shifted his attention to the beautiful and headstrong woman. It had begun with casual glances from the swordsman; he always seem to follow her with his eyes as if to make sure that she was still there. From their reunion at the Sabaody Archipelago; Zoro had kept a cool distance from the navigator, but when he thought no one was looking, his head would swivel slightly to her direction and he would cast his gaze over her form for a moment before turning back to whatever he was doing. Even during their trip down to Fishman Island, Sanji had overhead Ussop recalling the part when they were shoved into a cage, the destruction of the Ryuuguu Palace and Zoro's unusual rage at their imprisonment. Finally, the adventure at Punk Hazard when Sanji had nearly bled-out in happiness when he had the opportunity to swap bodies with Nami. The nail drove closer to home when the cook caught the murderous glare in the Zoro's eyes when he lovingly grasped his…er her breasts and the swordsman tried to cover it up with irritation. Gradually, Sanji caught more than just the swift, fleeting glances as Zoro slowly began to spend more than five second conversations with the navigator. Some nights, he found the two standing on the deck, drinks in hand and doing nothing but simply talk for the rest of the night.

To the chef's surprise, he didn't feel that jealous anger that he thought he should be feeling when Nami didn't humor him as much as she use to when he fawned over her and Robin. The historian had no doubt sniffed out the growing bond between swordsman and navigator and simply touched her finger to her lips, a secretive smile on her face. Being the gentlemen and an all-natural ladies man, Sanji made sure he got a kick out of the marimo's barely reigned anger whenever he flirted outrageously with the navigator; he had decided one night to ante up the flirting and began making sure that he was glued to Nami's side at all times and playing the perfect butler/potential boyfriend to the letter.

The nail finally hit home when one day, there was a loud thump followed by a loud shriek that was abruptly cut off behind the kitchen wall where the cook was washing dishes. Thinking one of the women were in danger, Sanji flew out of the scullery, a wet plate in hand, and darted behind the navigator's orange trees. He skidded to a stop with a "NAMI-SWAN!" only to stop dead.

There, in front of his eyes was his lovely navigator in a heavy lip-lock with the swordsman. He knew he shouldn't have been surprised but he was when the plate in his hand slipped onto the wooden deck with a loud clatter snapping the two from each other. Nami was completely flushed in the face, her eyes were wide and her mouth formed an O before she shoved Zoro aside and ducked her head, slipping past the stunned cook and darted down the stairs. A slam from below indicated where she went.

Okay so he accidently cock-blocked them, so what? The look on the swordsman's face said otherwise. Sanji rose a brow and shot the man a shit-eating grin,

"Sucks for you," he chuckled,

The reaction came with a loud snarl before a heavy body landed on top of him, slamming him to the ground. They fought, kicking and punching and cursing till one of Nami's precious orange trees got knocked to the ground and the navigator was storming back up, throwing a flurry of punches at their faces before dragging them back down by the backs of their shirts.

So you can understand why to Sanji's ultimate horror, that not only was the stupid marimo winning, he actually _got _her. Nami, the woman he could see himself serving delectable drinks and delicacies and loving and caring for the rest of his life. "Do you not care for her at all?" when a reply never came, Sanji inhaled once more on his cigarette before he yanked it from his lips and hurled it at the swordsman, "you ungrateful bastard!" he sneered, " I remember that smirk you threw at me when she finally said yes. You had that _Veni, vidi, vici _look on your face that made me want to shove my foot up your ass." He let the smoke blow past his face as he dropped to the ground and marched over to stand face to face with the swordsman who had gone completely silent.

Without any preamble, the chef grabbed his crewmate by his lapels and jerked him closer,

"She loves you, puts up with your bullshit and now she's hurt. And _this _is your reaction?" Sanji jabbed his index at the man's chest, punctuating each word with a stab of his finger, "You. Are. A. F*cking. Bastard." He paused, his gaze searching as he stared into Zoro's jaded orbs trying to read his nakama's train of thought.

All he found was a pair of narrowed eyebrows, a mighty frown on his mouth and sharp green eyes that stared unflinchingly back up at him. With a sigh, Sanji released his hold and pulled back, disappointment clouding his expression,

"Never mind, let's go," he muttered and turned around only to feel a heavy hand clamp over his shoulder halting his movements.

Anyone who knew the cook would have expected him to turn around and snap at his rival for even touching him but this time, Sanji waited; he knew he had hit a nerve.

There was a few seconds of silence before the swordsman finally spoke,

"I am a bastard." Zoro's answer had the chef suppressing a smile; so the man finally admitted it.

"I'm a bastard," he continued, "but i- I-"

"You're what," the cook snapped; he wasn't surprised that the tough man was tripping over his words; it wasn't everyday when you heard Zoro spout his feelings,

"I'm a glutton for punishment," pain overlaid the steel in his tone and Sanji made an attempt to face him only to be halted by the man's tight grip on his shoulder, "I'm on edge because I cannot face her after what happened to her. I-" there was a break in his voice and the cook froze; was he crying?

"O-oi, oi, marimo I get it, you –"

"You do not know how f*cking helpless I feel right now." Thick fingers dug into the cook's shoulder as Zoro made an effort to collect himself, "She's in my head cook, every second I'm not with her, I'm-" there was another catch to his voice and Sanji held his breath, flinching when Zoro spun him around allowing him to see the wild green eyes of a madman,

"Every time I'm away from her, I can. Not. F*cking. Breathe." Whatever Sanji wanted to say next flew out of his head as he blinked; the swordsman was rage and fear personified, his already angry brows were drawn in a tight V, and the depths of his jaded orbs flashed a homicidal green. The chef lowered his gaze to the man's strong jaws and saw a hint of a tremble between firmly gritted teeth,

"You love her," he summed up the man's words and watched the proud swordsman visibly crumble in front of him. Zoro gave a stiff jerk of his head, acknowledging his statement and in that brief moment, he didn't look like the crazed and dangerous demon that the marines coined him as. Instead, he looked like a man at a loss of what to feel when the woman he loved had been assaulted.

"You're still thinking about the value of revenge," Sanji pulled out another cigarette, rolling the stick between his lips as the swordsman straightened his shoulders and glared at him in the eye, some of the former fire coming back into his eyes,

"I could never stoop so low as to…" Zoro's good eye widened slightly as he faltered and let that sentence trail off before whispering, "I told myself that this once, just this once will I bring myself to this detestable level of hate." Sanji cupped the small flame he had flicked from his lighter, burning the tip of his stick before pulling it from his lips and blowing the smoke onto his friend's face,

"You're really a stupid marimo after all," he sighed. The cords on the swordsman's neck bulged out and the man reached for his swords ready to rehash their previous argument, "Is revenge for someone you love so wrong?" Sanji tilted his head to let the smoke blow past his lips and curl into the air and stuck it back into his mouth before leaning back in, "What you should be worrying about more is how to approach her in the future. We all know that it'll take a long time to help her lower her guards." With that, the chef inhaled once before he remembered his forgotten objective,

"Now what the hell are we still doing here?!" flames licked along the cook's suit as the familiar anger overwhelmed him and he leaped into the air,

"Look what you've done shitty marimo! We're supposed to meet Chopper at the palace and kick ass! Not have tea time!" Sanji muttered another expletive as he shot around a bend,

"It's not my fault!" Zoro snapped, "You wouldn't stop talking!"

"You stupid-"

And the arguing continues…

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**Thank you for reading!**

**Expected Update:**

**Retribution 7/03/15**


	6. Chapter 6 Royalty

**Royalty**

**Credits to Hanazatsu-Hime**

**Thank you to you awesome reviewers ^_^**

**Guest: I needed to get that clueless man who doesn't know how to properly express his feelings to let it out and who pushes the man better than Sanji? Thank you for reading!**

**A Beauty that's A Beast: You're not the only who loves the love/hate relationship between Sanji and Zoro XD I love their fighting and bantering but we all know that underneath the hate that they "love" each other. **

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Doflamingo examined the smooth edges of his fingernails as he slouched against his throne; he was right to put that fluffy padding on the throne seat, it made his ass a very happy ass. And the throne, well…it wasn't exactly a throne, more like a huge and long fluffy couch. Nevertheless, he was right to take it from the spa he had stayed in.

Overall, he was a bored man, a man who was tired of watching the live feed of the citizens of Dressrosa screaming their heads off, although he did get a kick out of seeing the despair and destruction he and his henchmen were causing; it was the most fun he had in years and he was going to make sure he enjoyed it to the fullest.

The Shichibukai's permanent, shit-eating grin on his face lighted up when something from the feed caught his eye and he watched as the two people who had become the source of his amusement come thundering up to the front gate.

"Heh heh hehe, they're finally here," he smiled as Trebol slithered his body around the couch, a slippery smile on his folded lips. Anyone else who saw the monstrosity of the snot dangling and flying from the executive's nostrils would be immediately repulsed, Doffy, however, simply tilted his head to his fist just as a strand of snot flew over his head.

"They're just in time for tea young master," The man snickered as he watched a hand shoot up into the air before it slammed down to the ground, slide back a few inches and grasped onto one of the jagged edges of the building. For the heck of it, the Shichibukai flicked his fingers and two thick locks of strings shot out of his fingertips curling around the hand that was gripping onto the building,

"The tea isn't ready, come back later," he gave the strings a small tug and grinned as the hand gripping onto the building lost its hold and there was an audible yell followed along with an enraged roar of, "I'LL KILL YOU STRAWHAT-YA!" before there was the sound of two bodies hitting the ground. Trebol threw his head back cackling,

"That was brilliant Doffy!" he exclaimed and Doflamingo chuckled; how he loved screwing around with people, it was his preferred form of entertainment.

"I don't think they want to wait for the tea to heat up," his mouth turned down slightly when the 400 million beri pirate's hand shot back up again. The Shichibukai tapped out with his strings once more only to have the hand whip out and curl around his strings,

"Fu fu," he laughed as the captain's hand used his strings as a lever to rocket himself and the man he once called family onto the top of the palace. The paramecia lifted his hands and gave the duo a slow applause; "the two of you are impatient as always," his grin widened as he relaxed back into his seat and crossed his leg,

"Since you're obviously not here for tea, I might as well ask you; why are you here?" as if the answer wasn't obvious enough, the fist flying towards his face definitely was,

"To kick your ass!" the former celestial dragon sniggered, the tip of his index, middle and ring curved into a slight hook effectively blocking the punch,

"Whose ass are you planning to kick?" he grinned and lifted his head to face the very man who intrigued him ever since the event of Crocodile's downfall in Alabasta.

Perhaps he'd get to play a bit after all.

* * *

The terms, rage, anger and fury were too tame a word to describe the captain of the Strawhat's current emotions. The man was practically vibrating with the darkest levels of nothing but the burning flame that draped over his body like a second skin. He had lashed out to take a bit of the edge off his fury but the Heart doctor only fanned the flames when he urged him to stick to the plan, the damn plan that he was _never _going to stick with in the first place!

There he sat, with that mocking grin on his face, the nonchalant way he loosen up in his seat made Luffy itch to rip the settee apart with his bare hands. He didn't care if the flamingo didn't play a part in his navigator's assault, that fact that he simply _sat _there and did absolutely _nothing _about it was what infuriated him the most. Luffy's bare hands clenched on nothing; he had ignored the pictures that Chopper had passed out, his anger fixated on the one person who was currently sitting in front of him.

The Strawhats captain blamed the flamingo for everything. _He _was the cause of his beloved nakama's grief; _he _was the one responsible for the Dressrosa's demise, _he _was the one who should be paying for _everything _that had befallen in the city.

"Doflamingo." The Shichibukai's name didn't come out as a challenge; it didn't even come out as a threat. No, the man's name was spoken as a personal vendetta laced with a promise informing the man that he had signed his death warrant. At the captain's warning tone, Doflamingo raised a brow, his attitude skeptic,

"Am I supposed to be impressed?" it was clear that he was laughing at them, yet there was no movement of laughter on his face. Luffy growled, a low sound that seem to shake the entire building as he leaped at the Shichibukai, his head tilted back, arms stretched at an abnormal angle before the super nova shot forward with a wild scream just as Trafalgar Law simultaneously clashed with the former celestial's clone and twisted his fingers murmuring, "Room." The space around the four seem to shrink in size and for a short second, the pink flamingo felt the briefest moments of something close to alarm before the dark figure hurtling at anomalous speed towards him rammed him straight in the stomach,

**"RED HAWK!"** the force blew the Shichibukai straight out his seat, sending him toppling unceremoniously to the ground. A shock ran up and out of Doflamingo's chest, stuttering his heart. Blood welled up his throat and he coughed it out.

"How was that?!" Luffy panted, his body was a tensely coiled spring ready to strike. The King of Dressrosa cocked his head as he wiped spittles of blood from his bottom lip and spat out the rest.

* * *

The bastard had managed to hit him; not bad, the Shichibukai pursed his lips in disgust at the smidgen of his blood on the ground,

"Little brat." He sneered only to turn his head to see his executive in danger of being spliced apart by Law's blade; Trafalgar Law, the man who went from a child dying of poison, to becoming one of the reasons for his rare forms of incurred wrath. The former adolescent had denied him of his much-desired immortality and had taken it upon himself to seek vengeance for Corazon; the brother the Shichibukai had murdered with his own hands.

With Haki imbued on his leg, the paramecia shot towards the two men and slid his leg beneath the end of the Heart Captain's blade effectively blocking him from sending the cutting blow.

"Doflamingo!" Law snarled and his eyes snapped down in surprise when slime wrapped around his legs pinning him to ground, "Trebol! I'll-"

"Full Bright!" pleasure sparked down in waves and the damning grin plastered itself back onto the celestial's face as he pulled his arms back, fingers splayed out and four thick, sharp lines of threaded steel shot down from the heavens and punctured the man's back flinging him away from his executive. His sharp ears caught the muted tones of alarm and pitched anger as the Strawhat Captain shouted his ally's name,

_"__You're next Strawhat." _Doflamingo twisted his long body, his tall stature giving him leverage as he swung his Haki imbued leg at the dark-haired man only to shift his posture at the last second and slam his foot into the Luffy's cheek,

"To bite the hand that feeds you," The Tenryuubito turned and advance toward Law, "You know what I hate the most? Law?!" He went closer, "Do you?!" His foot lifted high in the air and he brought it down, smashing it onto his former subordinate's back, "It's being looked down upon!" He swung his hand down, strings attached to his fingers as he aimed it for the Shichibukai's neck,

"Octapus stamp!" an elongated foot slipped in between as leather sandals pushed against his strings forcing him back just as a giant-size dark fist punched at him,

"Stop playing games with us Doffy!" Luffy screamed as the former Tenryuubito splayed his fingers apart, strings splitting out and attaching themselves into a web effortlessly catching the blow,

"Game? What game? The only game you'll be playing is the one I just made you lose," he watched as Luffy wrapped a hand around his web, using it as a booster as he pulled back and launched himself over the web,

**"GATLING HAWK!"** the Shichibukai was gone even before the impact of the Strawhat's rampaging fists even touched the ground. In a split second, the king appeared behind him, his head hovered over the rubber-user's shoulder,

"Know your place Mugiwara." Doflamingo's hands crossed and a wave of tightly packed strings rushed at him, "Break white!" the white waves swirled around, encasing the captain in a tight grip,

"Doflamingo!" Luffy shouted as he did his damndest to break free of the strings as he watched the Tenryuubito advance onto the fallen heart captain,

"What do you make of D?" Law asked as he struggled to right himself and he rose to stand in front of the paramecia. Doffy frowned, traces of bewilderment and even scanter hints of panic lingered around the lines of his mouth as he cocked his head at Law,

"What of it?" to his surprise, his answer came out as a harsh growl as he watched Law stagger back onto his feet,

"Today," something flicked over the monarch's head as Doflamingo leaped at Trafalgar, his arm slashing down, missing as Law dodged behind him. "I learned today for the first time…that you were a Tenryuubito." The long end of the Heart Captain's sword punched into the king only to have the raw end of the blade wrapped in Doffy's hand,

"It doesn't concern you!" he hissed as he jerked the blade down dragging Law toward him, "I WILL NOT DIE! You dare claim that I! Someone who possesses the blood of gods can die?! Ha! Ludicrous!" his clawed his hand at Law's face and something akin to fear began to stir in Doflamingo's body as the might of his anger split a gaping cavern in the palace roof, "Be careful not to mistake insecurity and inadequacy for arrogance! Fools like you should be cowering on the ground begging for forgiveness!"

A blade blocked his next swipe, Trafalgar Law's battered face angled up to look him dead in the eye; his expression dark, promising a world of pain,

"I too, am a D." he said and the world came crashing down on the fallen celestial dragon as he lashed out at him with a barely suppressed scream of rage.

"Room!" The entire building was encased in the heart captain's bubble and with a slice of his blade, a potion of the palace was sliced off.

"Tact!" Law's index finger curved down and then flicked to the side as the sliced off portion was lifted into the air and hurled at Doflamingo. Trebol let out a yell as the rampart sped toward them. The Shichibukai lifted his hand and placed it on the very edges of the rampart just as it graced the palm of his hand,

"Spiders web!" there was an ear-splitting crack as the sliced off portion shattered into pieces. In the corner of his eye, Law clenched his hand into a fist and the broken fragments stiffened for a second before they gathered together and sped at the paramecia. In a motion that looked as if he was simply floating above the chaos untouched, the king of Dressrosa chuckled as his arms shot out and snagged the heart captain's outstretched wrist.

"It's laughable how as a surgeon, you have to have a controlled arrogance. If it's uncontrolled, you kill people, but you have to be overwhelmingly conceited to try to stick a hand through my chest and take out my heart." He let the man dangle from his grip, "In an attempt to catch me off-guard, your death was guaranteed!" Power radiated off the Shichibukai as he floated off the ground,

"Everything I do on this planet, until my death. All of it! Was left to me by Corazon!" Law panted as he tried to wretch himself free. Confidence returned and pride oozed back into the Shichibukai's ego as he threw his head back and laughed,

"Ahh how touching!" He grinned as he curled a leg over the shoulder he held arrested, "But unfortunately, what's meant to be will always find a way!" With a powerful kick, Doflamingo sped to the ground, gravity aiding in the rapidly increasing speed, "You dare eat the Ope Ope No Mi and run off?! You dare bare your fangs at me and even if I have beaten fear into you, have the audacity to come and bite me?!" Sunlight glinted off the string he had attached from heel to raised calf,

**"JIGSAW!"** there was the sickening sound of string sawing into arm breaking through skin and cutting through bone as the duo spiraled headfirst into the ground.

**"TRA-GUY!"** Luffy's screams accompanied the hoarse yell of pain from his friend as he flexed his arms against the impenetrable hold of Doflamingo's latest attack. He snarled and pushed;

_He couldn't believe his eyes as he watched Chopper and Ussop carry in the one person he put his life and faith on in the treacherous waters of both the Old and the New World. The loss of his beloved brother had already taken a huge chunk of his heart. Now, to see his navigator beaten and broken down, to see the woman who had a special place in his heart, the woman who he was determined to latch onto as his nakama for as long as he lived and breathed._

_A little piece of his heart chipped away, the edges curling in, darkening and graying, hardening._

_There wasn't the enraged war cry he had let loose the first time he came to her rescue nor was there the panicked expression he wore along with the voice of desperation he had when she fell ill. _

_Instead, the 400 million bounty captain stood still, so still that not even Garp's ship-sinking cannon could budge him. The entire ship and its crew fell silent as a suffocating wave of Haki nearly overwhelmed the ship, sending its contents shaking and its occupants shifting uneasily in their spot. _

_It was a few tense seconds before he spoke, and when he did, the air seem to stiffen and the waters still as if in fright,_

_"__Guys." His voice came out low and rough, the hint of a barely suppressed growl tinged the edge, "we're heading out." Gone was the cheery and carefree adventure-obsessed disposition the captain was well-known for. Dark fury replaced his stark features as he smashed the icon that became his nickname onto his head, pushing it down over his eyes as if to hide the turmoil of feelings beneath. Even the Heart Captain had taken a step back and kept a respectful distance from him, his severe expression smoothing out into something akin to sympathy. Every muscle in his lean body stood out sharply, strung tight in preparation for the battle everyone now so eagerly and bloodthirstily waiting for. _

_The Strawhat usually condoned murder. Every single battle he fought, every strike he made, was to knock the opponent out rather than brutally kill. When asked why, he stated that he preferred that the victim was left to live and wallow in his guilt for his sin and said that it was a more suitable punishment than death. _

_Now…now he wasn't so sure he couldn't abide by that kind of mercy. Assault, oh the captain knew what it was, he wasn't 'that' stupid as to not completely understand the concept of it. Yes he sometimes mixed up the word assault with 'asphalt' but still… Seeing the results of it though was an entirely different story. Seeing it on his 'nakama,' was too, a different story, and one that came with drastic consequences. _

**"BIRDCAGE!"** What? Luffy felt his jaw drop in shock as something long and black rose into the sky and similar to Doflamingo's spider's web, span out as it expanded and fell over the city of Dressrosa. He watched with a mixture of awe and rage as the strings created a barred prison over the city and its inhabitants, caging them in.

Luffy's struggles renewed with vicious vigor and he set up a steadily building flurry of punches and kicks at the wave wrapped around him. It increased when the Shichibukai turned around to face him,

"Strawhat." His name came out as a sneer of contempt and Doflamingo raised his hands to the sky, "Do you like my masterpiece? Eh? What does it do you wonder? Well how nice of you to ask," the king pivoted on his heel and walked over to his overturned couch, flipped it over, swept away some dust and plopped himself back down, "Trebol my good man, do you mind answering their question?" The said executive chortled as he slunk back to his king's side, "it's, in a sense, Doffy's final execution stage," the sunglasses over the executive's eyes seem to glint in wicked delight in the light, "Before the truth of this country comes to light, Doffy is going to slaughter them all, the people living on his island, you and your crew!" he cackled, "you're lucky that the young master likes games and he's giving you a chance to play, not that you'll win hee hee hee!" The Shichibukai dodged another snot flying for his face, "You see, the 'Birdcage' that surrounds the town right now is, little by little, shrinking and contracting." The mocking smile was back on his face, "think of it as someone slowly closing an umbrella. See? If I do this," his fingers twitched and there was a great creaking of bars as the buildings in the outer rings of the island suddenly spliced into pieces as the bars of the birdcage closed in. Screams from afar reached the palace as Dressrosa writhe in pain, "well, the strong are always strong, the weak are always weak," a chorus of cries answered his statement.

A bellow of rage flew from Luffy's lips; the rage worked itself into a fine maelstrom until it burst out with a roar ripping the vice apart as the captain threw himself at the Shichibukai, his arms pulled back into a balled up fist,

"Gomu-Gomu Noooo!" His answering scream was cut off by a dark figure flashing in front of the Tenryuubito,

"LAW!" the current Shichibukai's name was a roar of ire and shock as the man drove his blade deep into the paramecia's stomach,

**"GAMMA KNIFE!"**

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Thank you for reading!

Expected Update:

**Retribution: 07/08/15**


	7. Chapter 7 Rash

**Rash**

**I apologize for this late update. I had a five day babysitting to do and now i'm back with an incredibly sore body; what three insanely energetic kids can do to you these days *rubs back* Never the less i managed to get a bit of work done in the place i was staying so i apologize for it being so short. I had more written down already but again, it didn't feel right to add the part in.**

**Thank you to you awesome reviewer!**

**A Beauty that's a Beast: i try to make sure to include every one of the crew member's feelings so they don't get left out. Thank you for reviewing!**

**A huge thank you to you silent readers too! **

**Now! Please enjoy!**

**Credits to Hanzatsu-Hime**

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Pain like never before sank into Doflamingo's body and he nearly crumbled from the shock; Trafalgar Law! How he became a pain in his side! The fallen Tenryuubito felt blood shoot up his throat and splash past his teeth as his mouth fell open in pain,

"F-f*ck, you got me good," he grunted; it took everything he had not to let his knees touch the ground. In all his arrogance, he cast a glance at his now blood-stained and dirt-tainted couch and nearly had a heart attack; his beautiful couch! The bastard had put a nice, fist size hole into the comforter and ruined the extra padding he had taken from the spa.

He was f*cken god almighty! How dare they f*cken –

"Jet Stamp!" something slammed into his guts shoving him back in a pile of rubble tearing him from his fuming and he landed on his ass once more,

"D-Doffy!" Trebol was a gloppy mess of snot and fear as the executive lifted himself up and flew at the Heart Captain. In those few precious seconds while Law explained his abilities, the king, behind his iconic sunglasses, closed his eyes…

And he began to stitch his pierced innards back together.

It wasn't going to allow him to move as with the dexterity he usually possessed, but it was enough to protect him from the worst attacks. The process was fast; however, it felt like someone decided to ask a five year old to hammer nails into his stomach as the strings looped around his intestines, blocking up the blood flow and colligating around the places that received the most damage. It wasn't exactly like a perfect healing, far from it actually, but it extended his life and bought him precious time.

When the fool had finished his repulsive little speech, the Shichibukai took it upon himself to rise to his feet. He rose like a monster from a child's nightmare, tall and foreboding, the feathers on his coat spread out like wings adding to the monstrosity as he loomed over the fallen captain, a maniacal grin on his lips and a wicked gleam in his eyes,

"Have you finished talking?" Doflamingo, who flawlessly disguised the pain and played the look of someone almost bored to tears, crossed his arms and looked down, "in that case, why don't I end your miserable life now?" The look of defeat on Law's face was priceless as he lifted his leg and brought it down.

It never reached its intended target. Displeasure coursed through the flamingo's body and he lost the cool and collected composure as he glared at the stupid little Strawhat dangling from the man's neck in pure, unadulterated hate,

"Of course." He hissed, "Why don't you join him while I send you both to the pits of hell myself!"

* * *

Franky lumbered with all the speed he could muster toward the Thousand Sunny; the weird bars had stretched all over the city and had landed just past the ports and harbors where he had docked the ship. It hadn't missed his or anyone for that matter's eye when the cage began to close in and the shipwright was forced to switch gears and double back to the ship.

If he didn't somehow move the ship some place safe, the crew wouldn't have the means to travel and he'd lose the ship he put his sweat, blood and tears into building.

Even worse, Girlie was still recovering in the ship; he saw the doctor crashing towards the palace and quickly deduced that Brook was still with her. Something streaked by him and the cyborg leaped back with a curse as a spliced meteorite crash landed a few feet from his person,

"So the cage still stands," a harsh voice boomed across the city as the powerful admiral stepped from his spot between two houses into the dying sunlight. Franky jumped back, his arms cocked forward, weapons immediately trained at the man,

"Crazy Admiral Guy!" he shouted as the man stopped before turning toward the shout,

"A member of the Strawhat," he guessed, "or a citizen?" Fujitora cocked his head at the click of his cannons, "a Strawhat then," he drew his sword and shifted his stance, battle-ready, "young one," he grunted, "In this world of chaos, do you presume that it would be right to do an honorable battle here and now?" Franky cocked his head and stared at him; the man, for his age and his occupation, was being very reasonable and very out of character,

"So you expect me to trust you and lay down my weapons and walk away and expect you to not attack me?" the cyborg snorted and shifted his legs, "sorry buddy, that's suuupppeerrr uncharacteristic of you damn marines." The admiral paused for a second before he nodded,

"No I don't expect you to completely agree," He tightened his grip on his sword, "very well then child, be it here or now justice shall be met. Come." Franky grinned and lunged with a bellow only to pull back when a group of people ran screaming in between them toward the middle of the city. With a sigh that sounded like he was regretful, the man lowered his sword, "call back your weapons and I shall call back mine. There's no need for unnecessary bloodshed," his thick brows furrowed and his eyes squeezed before his expression smoothened out, "There are more pressing matters to attend to," Franky regarded the man's words and weighed the pros and cons; he sure as hell wasn't trusting the admiral not to go back on his words, but the creak of the bars had him choosing the flip side and he shrugged back his cannons and turned around blasting into a run,

"Till next time admiral!" he called over his shoulder as he thundered down the city heading straight for the outer rings of Dressrosa; he had to get to the Sunny, and fast. It was a few minutes before he arrived, out of breath at the edges of the harbor and gave a yell when he saw that the bars were only inches away from his beloved ship; it had already shredded the other boats and marine ships that were docked further ahead.

**"OI! SKELETON!"** he hollered as he dashed forward and ran up the ramp, "Get the hell over here and control the wheel!" at his bellow, the musician flew from the room and stopped dead, staring up at the sky,

"Franky-san! What! Oh my! What is this! I feel like my eyes are going to fall out of my sockets! But I don't have eyes! Yohohohohohoho!" The shipwright blew past him and headed for the sails, "do me a favor and lower the sails! We need to get the Sunny out of here!" Franky rushed down the basement immediately switching on the thick machine and inserted three barrels of cola,

**"READY WHEN YOU ARE BROOK!"** He roared through the phone. There was an excited shout of **"YOHOHOHOHOHO"** and the telling creak of the bars before the cyborg stabilized the ship and pressed the eject button.

**"SUUUPPPEERRRR GEERRROMMIINNOO!"** He shouted as the ground beneath him shuddered. There was a split second pause before the Sunny let out a roar as the blast lifted the ship into the air and sent it airborne into the sky.

Suddenly, a scream of fright hit his ears,

"We're going too high Franky-san! We're going to hit the bars!" Shit! The shipwright sped out of the basement and onto to the deck in time to see that the Sunny was heading into a headlong collision with the top of the birdcage,

"F*ck!" The cyborg had to think, and fast. His eyes darted around the ship and landed on the floor, "Damnit!" He wasn't entirely convinced of his hastily thought up plan as he scrambled for the ledge, ignoring Brook's screams as he stepped off the fencing and without another thought, threw himself off.

"Strong Right!" his arm shot out and caught the edge as Franky swung himself down and under the Sunny's belly,

"Strong Left!" his left hand flew and snagged the heavy ship anchor.

**"FRANKKKYYYYY!"** came the warning shriek and the cyborg quit hesitating and hauled ass. The man let out a beastly howl as he jerked the anchor free from its place and with him on it, hurled himself down into nothingness,

**"WE'RE HEADING FOR THE OVERGROWN REINDEER!"** He bellowed.

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**Expected Update:**

**Retribution: 07/12/15**


	8. Chapter 8 Retaliate

**Retaliate**

**Credits to Hanzatsu-Hime**

**Hello again! I'm back with another chapter! This time, i'm going to be introducing not one, but TWELVE new characters that will be brought into play in this arc! Some may wonder how i came up with the names. Yes i did try to google them and grab them from different backgrounds, but i gave up after the first one and sat back and looked at my desk. I looked at the little nick knacks i had cluttered all over my table and picked and toyed with some of their titles altering them to fit my new characters ^_^ Can you guess any of their origins?**

**Thank you to you awesome reviewer and you silent readers!**

**Death-By-Sanity: Thank you so much! I would've put dark humor instead of simply comedy but there wasn't that specific slot for me TT_TT don't worry! I guarantee that there will be parts that will have you rolling off your bed again in the future! Thank you for reading!**

* * *

Robin was in the middle of tossing a few citizens and measly pirates out of her way when a dark shadow fell over her face. She tilted her head up, wondering what it was and her eyes widened in plain shock; very few things could shock the stoic woman but this was one of the things that had her freezing in her spot,

**"****ROBIN-SEMPAI MAKE ME YOUR SLAVE! I MEAN What is it Robin-sempa- AKAPA!#$%*!T-T-T-THOUSAND S-S-SUNNY BWUHUHUHUH! !$%#!"** The fan-boy of all hard core fan-boys Bartolomeo had his head tilted back at a neck breaking angle, a mixture of snot and tears pouring out of his eyes and ringed nose as he gazed in rapture as the ship flew over head, a battle cry of a distant figure clinging onto the…anchor?

* * *

"I keep telling you it's to the right you shitty marimo!" Sanji was ready to tear a new one into the stupid fool when something soared overhead causing him and Zoro to cease their arguments and bend their heads back to see…

**"****F-FRANKY?!"** Behind him, the swordsman was sputtering in shock. A loud and overbearingly familiar YOHOHOHOHO echoed across Dressrosa as they watched in shock as the ship flew over their heads and-

**"****NAMI –SWAN IS IN THERE!"** There was a mad scramble as the duo shot onto the roofs and flew over the buildings, tailing the ship,

**"****WHEN THEY LAND, AND I ****_HOPE_**** THAT F*CKING ROBOT IS WITH THEM! THERE BETTER NOT BE A F*CKING SCRATCH ON MY QUEEN OR I'M GOING TO BOIL BROOK'S BONES FOR SOUP!"** Zoro tossed him an odd look but said nothing as they doubled their speed and headed for the palace shouting for Chopper.

* * *

Ussop slugged his staff into a man's stomach as he darted for the palace; he fervently prayed that he didn't run into anymore-

"There's the five-star God Ussop! After him!" a thunderous rallying cry had the poor sniper screaming in fear as his legs took on a whole new meaning of running. Something overhead caught his head and he looked up and nearly fell on his face mid-run,

"S-Sunny Go?!" He screamed when he saw Franky clinging onto the anchor and he ran even faster,

**"****O-OI! YOU IDIOTS! NAMI IS IN THERE!"** Of course they didn't hear him, but he felt a lot better after shouting that.

* * *

Chopper, still successfully in his Monster form, stopped at the entrance of the palace; he had simply waded through the packed streets – the cage didn't bother him too much since it was taller than he although it did make him a bit claustrophobic – okay maybe he couldn't completely wade through the street; Dressrosa was packed as it was and it was almost impossible for him _not _to crush a few infrastructures on his way over. He had also been picking off the people, who had been gunning for his head. Chopper stopped at the edge of the palace and squatted down to look around; he didn't see any of his crewmates so he decided to wait. The doctor glanced at the papers in his hands; he was planning to split the twelve papers with his nakamas and have them avenge Nami that way but with the three-minute countdown going on in his head, his time as a giant wasn't going to last much longer.

**"****REINDEER!"** Franky's voice was suspiciously close to his ears and Chopper immediately stood up to look for the shipwright,

"Franky! What are you-**EEEEHHHHHH?!**" The poor doctor automatically stuck his shaggy arms out - papers momentarily forgotten - waving them in fright as the Sunny hurled toward him,

**"****CATCH US REINDEER!"** Franky hollered and Chopper looked at complete loss for a second before his hands cupped together and he braced himself.

With a shudder, the Thousand Sunny smashed headfirst into the doctor's palms pushing his arms back, causing him to wrap both arms tightly over the ship's body; the Sunny was a lot bigger than he had originally calculated.

**"****OOMMPH! FRANKY! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"** he shouted as the shipwright leaped off the anchor and ping ponged himself to the ground,

"The bars were getting supa close to the ship," he said as the doctor carefully lowered the Sunny, his face contorted in anger,

"Nami is in the ship you idiot!" He shouted, his deep voice gradually pitching higher as the doctor shrunk back to his normal height.

"Bah! We got here just fine!" the shipwright grunted just as Brook soared out of the ship with a jolly laugh,

"I thought my heart was going to burst out of my chest!" he paused and looked down at the empty cavern between his ribs, "ah, I forgot, I don't have a heart, **YOHOHOHOHOHO!**"

**"****NAMI-CHWAN!"** came the yell followed by an angry burst of flames as the cook and the swordsman raced over. The chef was hopping mad, his expression twisted into some sort of demonic beast as he seem to loom furiously over the cowering musician,

**"****BROOK! THERE BETTER NOT BE A SCRATCH ON MY PRECIOUS QUEEN!"** Flames fluffed up his hair and brows as he darted up the ramp and slammed into the doctor's room,

There was a hysterical scream of,** "NAMI-CHWAN WHY ARE YOU ON THE FLOOR?!"** and a muffled thump that had Zoro clenching the handles of his swords in alarm before Sanji tumbled out of the door sporting a shiny black eye and a bruised cheek,

"Hai! Nami-chwan! I'll leave you to your beauty sleep!" the cook mumbled between puffy cheeks as he saluted and leaped off the ship landing in front of Chopper,

"Chopper, do you have the files?" even with the chef doing his best to tamp down the flames; the question came out as a hysterical growl. The doctor let the small stack float to the ground before getting on his knees and spreading them out,

"From left to right, Mason Owens, Antonio Bastilla, Levi Rye, Aiden Chuy, Arc Cross, Lore Sun, Pentel Amar, Faylar Bates, Steven Spilburn, Ambrose Canola, Daven Collins and Rafael Serg." He sat back and looked up at each and every one of his crewmates, "we can all choose a guard to fight,"

Robin tapped a finger against her cheek as she inspected each of the posters. The secretive smile she usually wore on her face was gone as she bent to take a closer look at one of them and murmured something before she reached over to finger the third to last poster,

"If you don't mind, I'll be taking this one," slim fingers gripped the edge of the paper before lifting it into the air and tucking it into her pocket. No one questioned the woman's choice, even the cook didn't object to her entering the battlefield for she had every right. They didn't even stop to wonder why she had refused to stay back to look after the navigator; Robin had lived in a shroud of secrecy for most of her wretched life and even now, she only revealed information when it was necessary and beneficial. Otherwise, she kept what she had learned to herself.

The cook didn't hesitate and with a swoop that nearly singed the poor reindeer's ears, nabbed three of the pictures and settled back to read them with the cigarette flicking between his thin lips and an angry scowl on his face.

A hand over his eyes, Ussop lowered himself to the ground and groped and fumbled for a bit before snatching up a poster and sat back, his eyes nearly popped out at the Intel and he reached out to quickly switch when the sheath of Zoro's sword stabbed down in front him. The poor man had tears in his eyes and a depressed nose as he pulled back with a small whimper.

Not to be outdone, the shipwright cradled another three in his metallic hands and shifted back to allow Brook to step in. The musician studied each of the remaining four; his cane hovered for a few seconds over the papers before he slid another two towards his person,

"Doctor-san," he said quietly and Chopper stuck out his hoof to grab one, his dark eyes focused on the swordsman as he pushed the last picture towards him,

"Captain Serg, leader of the Donquixote Guardia," he said softly and nudged the photo closer. In and even softer voice, he whispered, "He's the one who gave the command." There was nothing but heavy silence from the man and judging by his stormy expression as he bent to pick up the poster, he was walking a fine line between sanity and lunacy. It took someone who knew Zoro well to detect the slight tremble of the fingers gripping tightly onto the paper. When he finally drew the paper from his face, there was a homicidal look in his eyes, a vein bulged from his sharp jaw drawing taut over noticeably clenched teeth; retaliation would be swift.

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**Thank you for reading!**

**Expected Update:**

**Retribution: 07/16/15**


	9. Chapter 9 Really?

**Really?**

**Credits to Hanzatsu-Hime. I've forgotten to put a Disclaimer - stupid me - so here it is. **

**I don't know own any of (G)oda's characters or his beautiful settings. I'd give quite a few body parts just to own ****_one character. (^^'')_**

**The Donquixote Guardia are on the move! You will be introduced to each character and hopefully, come to accept their quirky personalities (^^)**

**Again a HUGE THANK YOU to those who took their time to give me such amazing reviews! Thank you to you silent readers out there for liking and supporting this story too!**

**Bookworm0313: Yup yup you've got that right This. Is. F*cking. Intense (haha) I've got a boatload of things in store for Nami and unfortunately, our clueless yet love-able swordsman too! Stay tuned! And thank your for reviewing!**

**Death-By-Sanity: I try, i try, (XD) There will never be a day when poor Ussop gets a break lols. As for your question. Yes Law is aware of Nami's assault, and I have no qualms that he feels a bit of anger for our navigator himself. I mean, if you put him in Luffy's position, he'd feel pretty darn angry if one of his crewmates were injured (think of Bepo). Will i put in a section from Law's point of view? Yes eventually i will since do need a viewpoint from a spectator and Law is the perfect candidate. I don't mind questions! Ask away!**

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Under the order of the Commander, 24 year old Mason Owens formed a tag team with Bates as they set out at a jog down the streets of Dressrosa. The man had given up his family when his single mother had decided to take his sister and younger brother and leave the city for some unknown reason. As a young man in his late teens, he had chosen to reside in Dressrosa and like many of his fellow mates, join the military. It was only a few years later when his work had caught one of the executive's eye and after two years of some of the most grueling conditioning and countless visits at death's door, Owens had officially made himself a place in the Donquixote Guardia. They were the executive's personal guards, putting their strength and reputation a tier below the executives themselves. As for his physical features, the man didn't think himself too bad looking. He had one of those smooth and angled faces with sharp jaw lines and shaggy blond hair pulled back in a ponytail. Mason stood at a proud six two with the maroon and gray elite uniform covering his lanky bulk. His eyes, however, didn't match with the rest of his ethnicity.

Mason Owens's eyes were noticeably and undeniably a husky shade of gray tinged with a mixture of blue and black. No doubt to any woman, it might have been beautiful had he not chosen to keep his head lowered and let the stray strands of his hair hide the majority of his eyes behind his long bangs. The shallow knife slashes scattered over the side of his temple didn't seem to help either. In his hands he carried steel-crafted tonfas in which he had infused with haki. Doflamingo and his executives had beaten into all of them the importance of haki, especially Busoshouku, Armament Haki. Out of the twelve, a third of the Donquixote including himself had managed to unlock the dormant ability.

"Tonfa-Boy, we're doubling back to meet up with Canon-Boy in 10," the rough and commanding tone of Bates' voice was like gravel to his ears; the man wasn't entirely unpleasant to listen to, it was just that his dark character had most of his mates widening their stance around him.

"Sure thing," he bit out, the tip of his angular nose twitched as he tried to brush off the nickname. It wasn't that he was insulted by it, it was simply the fact that the man didn't bother to take the three years to get to know him other than the fact that he fought with tonfas.

"Ya coming Tonfa?" Owens resisted clocking said tonfas over his partner's head as he quickened his pace to catch up. He watched as Faylar Bates shuffled through the Strawhat posters in his hand, on his other, a set of brass knuckles twirled along his long fingers as he inspected each of the photos whistling all the while,

"Shit, would you look at that? They've all got f*cken bounties." The man's brass knuckles spun flowed like water over his fingers whilst he roughly shouldered aside the panicked citizen who got in his way. Mason gently nudged a child to the side with his hand as he as he moved; who gave a f*ck if they had bounties? The intruders were destroying his beautiful city! His hands clenched around the smooth handles of his weapon as he kicked his pace up a notch; this was his home! His birthplace! His honor to the king served to strengthen his tie to this city, and they dare insult and challenge him? As they turned a corner, he heard his colleague let out a low whistle of appreciation that had him turning his head to face him,

"Aye Tonfa-Boy! Look at this beauty! Don't she look f*ckable?" The end of Faylar's blunt finger tapped against a picture of one of the Strawhat's crewmembers. Mason's silver eyes took in the fiery-haired splendor posing in front of him. His tongue unconsciously swept over his lips and he forced himself to turn away from the sight; Doflamingo's strict sex ban along with his punishments had made sure he and his fellow elites kept their cocks tucked in their pants. It didn't escape his notice that some of them had been unable to resist and he couldn't blame them; he was the youngest of the Donquixote and that meant his own sexual charge was higher than a f*cking kite. Something niggling in his mind had him tugging back to face the picture and Mason suppressed the urge to trace the woman's lovely face with this fingers, he couldn't help but wonder if, perhaps, he had seen her somewhere before.

"Ahh, we've got a lovely one here," There was an interested gleam in Faylar's dark eyes as he smirked and pulled up a photo of another woman with ink black hair and sharp, mischievous eyes and more angular and matured features. Mason immediately knew his partner had locked onto a new target; oh he wasn't stupid as to think the forceful man would carry out his new fascination, but if Mason knew one thing about Faylar Bates, it was that once his intimidating colleague had set his eyes on his target, he never lost it. Ever.

There was a shout and someone ran headlong in his chest. Although the impact wasn't enough to topple him, it had him pushed a step back. Owen grimaced when something blunt poked his diaphragm and his head bent to look at the person who had fallen back rubbing his nose,

"Ouch! Watch where you're-" The offender had a wild mass of curly black hair pulled back in a tail and a red and white stripped hat with goggles capped over his head. His most distinguishing feature was an incredibly long nose and an interesting cane of some sort strapped to his back. Mason tilted his head; who –

"Oi! He's the five-star Godly Urine or somethin'!" Beside him, Bates had long tossed the posters over his wide shoulders and was already slipping the brass knuckles over his thick fingers as he advanced forward.

Ah, now he remembered,

"It's God Ussop." Owens corrected and sighed; he did feel a bit of remorse for the poor guy who was now openly gawking at his partner,

"Yeah buddy, the metal spikes embedded along his arms and shoulders? It's real," Mason's confirmation had the man's jaw – and nose – sagging down even further,

"T-t-t-t-t-t-tremble o-o-o-on y-y-your k-knees g-g-gentlem-men!" With an effort that had Mason's sympathetic side applauding, the Strawhat had managed on dangerously shaky legs to right himself up and put up a courageous front. Except with Bates looming over the Strawhat, you could see his brave façade visibly crumbling and Mason had to chuckle; how long has it been since anyone other than his mates stood up to him? A hard elbow shoved him to the side as Faylar marched ahead with a wicked smile on his countenance,

"This one's got spunk," he growled, the metal spikes on his knuckles gleamed in the dying light and he gave a loud bellow as he leaped toward the man.

"Let's see if you're still high and mighty after this!"

* * *

He was well and truly f*cked. Ussop trembled from the soles of his mustard yellow boots to the tip of his nose. They were definitely_ not _the people he was suppose to fight; a quick glance down at the paper confirmed it.

He had to stall…somehow,

"W-w-wait!" The inborn flight ability to dodge obstacles had the sniper throwing himself to the side in time to avoid his head smashed from his shoulders as the ape swung and missed. An angry bellow of annoyance sounded and Ussop scrambled back on his ass, his hands stuck out, frantically waving,

"W-w-wait! I-i-I'm not God Ussop!" The giant in front of him paused and the sniper's hands immediately went for his bag; oh where was his mask when he needed it most?

And his lie! The sniper couldn't hold back a wince; it had to be the stupidest and most bogus lie he had ever spoken! Heck even he didn't believe it himself! The large man in front of him tilted his head up, his eyes narrowed and Ussop craned his head back to look too and gulped.

There, blaring and flashing in the air was the screen that Doflamingo had put up displaying the people he wanted apprehended. And right smack dab in the middle was the grand prize; a picture of himself with his nose jutted up like a proud warrior. The sniper inwardly groaned; how the hell did he forget?

The weight of the ape's hard stare was making him sweat bullets, body trembling, Ussop turned his gaze back to the guard to meet the glare of tapered dark orbs,

"Bullshit," the man growled and Ussop sent a fervent prayer to the heavens.

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**A/N: Thank you for reading!**

**Expected Update: **

**Retribution: 07/19/15**

**Scorching Heat of Summer: 07/18/15**


	10. Chapter 10 Resistance

**Resistance**

**Credits to Hanzatsu-hime and Oda for both concepts and disclaimers...i owe nothing but the few characters i posses and my writing style.**

**Thank you to both reviewers and readers!**

**A Beauty that's a Beast: **Thank you! Serg is going to get a whooping surprise when he sees him!

**Death-By-Sanity:** You're welcome! *wipes tear* i'm so glad my story has inspired you! I hope my writing continues to inspire you!

* * *

_They were all over her, their fingers constantly groping, seeking the warm weight of her breasts, sliding their hands along the inner places of her thighs. Their lips were pulled back in condescending sneers as her slim wrists were manacled above her head. The biting words "whore" "slut" and "b*tch" resonated around and around her head as she fought, kicking and screaming in her bonds. _

_She was strong! She was strong! She couldn't let – the edges of her vision flickered and darkness threatened to pull her down and Nami threw her head back with a scream of rage and fear. _

_She was afraid, frightened beyond reason as –_

With a choked gasp, the navigator wretched herself from the shadows and her lids flew open and she shot up. Pain ratcheted from her sides and she managed to force her limp arms to wrap around her middle.

"I'm okay, I'm okay, I'm okay," she chanted and began to gently rock herself, refusing to stop even as her head ached and her body burned; Nami was beginning to dread sleep, the nightmares were starting to close around her. With her good eye, the navigator carefully turned her head toward the nearby cabinet, lighting up a bit when she spotted the sleeping pills placed within her reach,

_"__Thank you Chopper," _Slowly, painstakingly; through shallow breaths and labored pants, Nami stretched out her left arm,

"Move," she whispered. Her body groaned in response as she leaned to the side, her fingers gradually straightened and stopped a few millimeters away from the pills; the pain increased.

"Pick up the pills." It was a shaky command, but nevertheless, an order that had her slim fingers obediently closing themselves over a white capsule. Body trembling from the effort, Nami bent even further to close her lips over the straw stuck in a cup nearby and quickly sucked up a mouthful of water. Holding it in her mouth, in the same snail pace, the navigator pulled her arm back and gingerly tilted her chin up to let the tablet drop down her throat before swallowing, water and all.

A relieved sigh escaped her and Nami allowed her body to sag back into the covers; she had been rudely awakened and practically thrown out of her bed when the Sunny gave a rumble and pressure filled her ears and she screamed when she felt the ship give a sudden lurch.

She didn't know what the hell was going on but if anything, she was pissed. They were airborne for a few minutes before there was an abrupt yank and the ship tilted downward. Nami let out a startled scream when the contents that weren't nailed down to the ship – and that meant her- took a tumble and the navigator barely managed to use the pillow she had managed to snag to cushion herself as her body flew into the air and slammed against the door,

"OW!" her body screamed in pain when there was another bone-jarring thud along with the irritating YOHOHOHO of Brook's laugh and she slid to the floor in a crumpled heap,

_"__I'm going to kill that bastard." _The juncture between her thighs throbbed and Nami gritted her teeth against a wave of agony that ripped down the middle of her body. The fool cook even had the nerve to burst in making her shriek and lash out with her leg kicking him square in the face with the strength she didn't know she still possessed.

Now, the Sunny was silent, and although the muffled sounds of screams surrounded the ship – she was surprised that no one had entered the Sunny yet – Then again, she was assured by Franky that they had landed in a zone where no one would dare step foot in since it was in Doflamingo's strike zone. You'd think putting an injured person and your ship in that particular area would be the dumbest idea possible, but when you have a captain who is a few stories away from you and hell bent on kicking said Fallen Celestial's ass to protect you, staying around his vicinity would probably be the best place as a last resort. It definitely wouldn't be the most logical, but comparing to the rest of Dressrosa, it was the safest.

With her body back in bed and her head nestled against the pillow, the navigator exhaled as sleep crept along the edges; tomorrow, tomorrow she'd begin her road to recovery.

* * *

"Not again," the edges of the man's long pants scraped the ground as he quickly holstered his canon over his back and took off in a dead run. He should've known the city of Dressrosa like the back of his hand after more than decade of living here and even then, he _still _couldn't remember how to get to the farmer's market or even memorize the roads that led to the palace other than familiar landmarks which were now torn down to unrecognizable pieces. The sky was beginning to darken; the rays of the dying light touched the silver strands of his hair as he flew over the crumbled walls and skidded to a stop when he met a dead end.

"Where am I?" Pentel Amar muttered as he reached up with a gloved hand to wipe away a light sheen of oil from his forehead. He wasn't human, not quite. Seventeen years ago, his body had been obliterated by an explosion that took out a third of his upper torso from chest down and ripped off over half of his legs and arms. During that time, there was a well known surgeon in Dressrosa who was also an expert in metal implants who his family immediately sought out for help. When his parents found out the cost of reforming and rebuilding his body…they upped and left him.

He was wrapped in a white tablecloth that was starting to bleed out to the ground and left in the back alley of the surgeon's home. He should've been dead the moment the blast struck his body but somehow, somehow his damn heart still beat. Just like the today's sunset, the surgeon had emerged from his place for a smoke when he nearly stumbled over Amar's torn body.

It was well over six months before his heart restarted and he awoke. When he did, he found himself no longer quite human; Nanocrystalline Alloy and Graphene encased a good sixty percent of his body. There was something resembling a leather gasmask wrapped around the lower half of his face and overlapped his nose along with a thin net of Graphene layered over the top. Thick black goggles framed both of his eyes hiding the now crimson irises he had mysteriously acquired. 28 year old Pentel Amar stood at five eight with slim shoulders and a tapered, steel waist. His once dull brown hair was now colored a glaring shade of silver and streaked with black highlights.

For the next 7 years after his recovery, Amar worked and studied alongside the surgeon. He never called the man by his given name other than Doctor Cyborg until one day, the man vanished from his life and his memory of the doctor flew out the window along with him. Bitter and frozen was his heart when he finally joined Doflamingo's military. The only thing that gave him some reprieve was the fact that when the Celestial took over Dressrosa, he never felt the accusing and frightened stares from the citizens whenever he took a stroll down the streets. The city accepted his distorted and metal form and a semblance of peace now rested over him.

Four years later, his rank escalated. As a part of the Donquixote Guardia, the man felt like it was his job to keep that calm that was now being threatened. If his king was usurped, where in the world would society accept him? The intruders were threatening that serenity,_ his_ tranquility that he had fought to keep for so long.

There was the familiar roar that sounded like a foghorn in the sky telling him that his assigned partners were currently engaged in battle. He hastened his pace and bounded over another infrastructure; he was suppose to meet Owens and Bates in a little less than ten minutes. It would take him exactly eight minutes and fifty-four point six seconds reach them leaving him just enough time to give his parts a good oil down.

Amar detested tardiness and negligence; it was one of the few reasons why he objected pairing up with Owens in the first place. However, the death glare the Commander leveled on him a few hours ago had him snapping his head down in compliance. Faylar might not be the best partner to work with either, but his honed sense of direction and destructive power was top notch in the Donquixote.

Another bellow had him breaking into a fast sprint, his cannon cocked over his left shoulder and Pentel leaped off a particularly high building and landed with the soundless grace to the ground only to dodge the sudden burn of a laser beam that nearly singed the tips of his hair. He paused for a heartbeat to observe; pure hatred turned had Faylar's face puce as the large man struggled to wretch off the large, robotic hand wrapped around his throat. A few feet from his person, Mason let loose a low curse before his tall frame disappeared. It a blink, the man appeared behind a towering cyborg, his arms canted to smash his haki-imbued tonfas over the machine's head when the robot's arm suddenly snapped up and diverted the incoming blow with a push of its wrist.

There was a liberated cry of "Franky!" from another side and Pentel looked up, mid-fire to see a pitiful looking man sprawled on the ground looking like he was about to cry in relief.

His brain automatically pieced the two unidentified people in front of him and it clicked,

"Cyborg Franky and God Ussop," His voice was a low monotone as he hefted his cannon over one shoulder and slid two fingers over the trigger, "Cyborg – a fictional or hypothetical person whose physical abilities are extended beyond normal human limitations by mechanical elements built into the body. God -the creator and ruler of the universe and source of all moral authority; the Supreme Being. Die." His fingers pulled and the hum of energy filled the air before his gun shuddered and bucked as a bright beam of energy that illuminated the area and shot straight for the cyborg forcing him to drop Bates and throw his metal arms out in protection.

Inside his machine, Franky gritted his teeth as he gripped the joysticks in his hands; the f*cking hybrid guard was on his way to royally pissing him off. With a snarl, he threw the machine's body into the air and launched himself at him,

"Donquixote Guardia – a pile of assaulting bastards who deserves a major ass-whoopin!" His hands reached up to grab a lever and with a shout, he pulled down,

"General Cannon!" The machine powered its fist at the guard and released an ear-shattering blast as a large blast hot straight for the man. Something slammed into his Shogun and the shipwright let loose a colorful string of expletives when he felt his body lose its balance for a second to see from the outside cameras that the stupid ape had wrapped his body around his robot's knee and was punching furiously at the ball and socket.

"Oi! Stop it!" he shouted as his fingers worked at the controls. The Shogun lifted the offended leg and with a mighty kick, dislodged the man from his leg. There was a dull thud and the Strawhat swore when his Shogun let out a groan as two thick metal sticks slammed its way into the back of his robot's neck and penetrated straight through the steel plating,

"What the f*ck?!" Disbelief coursed through his voice as the unidentified guard let out a hoarse shout and he watched in astonishment as the two sticks, darkened with haki ripped down and sliced cleanly right though the back of his machine.

"Strong Right!" his fist lunged and smashed through the damaged plating busting the hole of his machine and punching the figure right in the stomach. There was a loud curse as the guard absorbed the impact and his knees buckled as he flew into a partially crushed building.

"Fist of Gulliver!" something that sounded like a bone snapping from body echoed throughout his machine and the monitors flashed a warning red; the huge bastard had practically ripped his Shogun's leg from under him.

**"****Rerouting Lower Torso Activated."**

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**Thank you for reading!**

**Expected Updates:**

**Retribution: 07/24/15**

**Scorching Heat of Summer: 07/22/15**


	11. Chapter 11 Reason

**Reason**

**Credits to Hanzatsu-Hime and the Great Oda himself!**

**A forever and ever thank you! To you readers out there! ^_^**

**Thank you for your support!**

* * *

**"****Rerouting Lower Torso Activated." **there was a loud whirr as the shipwright scrambled from his position and lifted the hatch on the ceiling as he pulled himself inside the head. Gears and conks clanked together as the Shogun lowered its body to its knees and Franky leaped from his machine,

"Shogun Autopilot!" With both cannons flipped and ready to fire on his shoulders and arms, the cyborg was a walking war machine. The sniper had long managed to make his getaway among the chaos leaving the shipwright free to wreck a maelstrom of havoc. To his ultimate glee, there were plenty of materials he could use to fashion any sort of weapon of his choice as he faced off with the Guardia. Before he thought of engaging, the shipwright had taken a quick peek at the papers he had stashed inside his Shogun which confirmed his opponents. Even without his confirmation, Ussop's frightened scream had Franky already leaping into battle, papers be damned; his f*cking nakamas were in danger.

"Franky Radical Beam!" twin blazing beams of energy shot from his shoulders, the laser reacting to his target's heat signatures and immediately honed in to attack. The explosion shook the ground and the area around them shattered with the might. Palms upright, the shipwright leveled his aim at the blurry figures moving with inhuman speed and he struck, shooting a line of bullets everywhere.

There was an infuriated roar and a shadow from the corner of his eyes leaped at him; oh look, the crazy ape is back.

"You're going to pay for f*cking with me!" the man snarled and his fist punched out, striking sideways, sneaking past the Strawhat's guard and before Franky could even let out a curse, his head snapped back from the sharp blow and something screeched as sparks flew off his cheek, damaging the metal plating lying beneath his skin. The ape let out a colorful expletive and he leaped back to stare at the slightly bent spikes lying along his arm, "What the f*ck are you?" he hissed.

It was time. Franky let out a breath as he turned to face his adversaries. Despite the damage on his face, his sunglasses glinted off the slowly dying rays of the sunset as his stretched his arms out, the back of the wrists facing each other before he released his pent up breath and slammed his arms together, the half stars on his arms aligning

**"I'M F*CKING SUPER!"** his legs were epically bent, leaned to the side in heroic proportions.

Silence answered him.

"What the f*ck?" the ape growled and a few feet back, the guard with a facemask answered him,

"Super- exhibiting the characteristics of its type to an extreme or excessive-"

"Stuff it Cannon-Boy," the large man snarled and he tightened his grip onto his knuckle dusters and stepped forward, "this one's the Strawhat shipbuilder or somethin," he reached into his the little container he had clipped to his side and pulled out two small, blue tablets the size of a dime and popped it in his mouth. Faylar then stomped his foot down and bent his body into a crouch, his arm was drawn back and tucked close to his side; powering up,

"Tonfa-Boy and Cannon-Boy cover me," the ape's body had seemed to be completely frozen over.

"You don't have to tell me," Mason muttered as he flew in the air and swung his Haki-imbued weapons at the cyborg; Pentel would have to deal with the robot firing at their heat signatures, he didn't have time to help. Owens barely dodged a fist that flew for his face, nicking his jaw; the cyborg was proving to be more difficult than he thought.

_"__Quattro." _His arms were spread apart, one raised above his head and the other lowered below his waist. His thumbs hovered over the ends of his grip and he pressed down. There was a soft click and the sliding of chains attached to the heavy weight of a ball fell to the ground.

As the soon as the balls touched the ground, the ground below it cracked.

He moved. The chains pin wheeling beside him and he darted forward lashing out. The cyborg didn't hesitate to allow the chains to wrap around his arms before he gripped the end Mason felt his body jerked forward. The balls of his feet automatically stuck out, slamming themselves against the man's armored chest; what the f*ck was the cyborg made of? He could feel the hum of energy from beneath his shoes and the vibrations that had the muscles in his arms trembling. Bracing himself, Mason pushed with the balls of his feet and flipped backwards, propelling his body up and into the air before he landed on the cyborg's shoulders. Aiming the ends of his tonfas at him, he fired,

"Pental!" another explosion had him flipping again to allow his partner's missile to smash into the cyborg's face. Mason felt his restricted chains loosen and he leaped back. For good measure, he fired off another round from his tonfas before he paused to access the target.

"You better not have killed that f*cker," Faylar growled and Mason shrugged while his heart gave an unexpected lurch and he risked a puzzled glance at his chest; why was it hurting?

When the dust cleared, Mason peered in to see if the cyborg was still standing. A large hand suddenly shot out of the smoke and Owens felt steel close over his head. Crushing pressure had his temples groaning in pain and he flicked another hidden channel in his tonfas and slid out the blades. Slashing down, he found the area where the metal joints connected wrist and hand and slashed downward. There was a loud curse and the hand lifted and Mason found out that part of the curse came from himself; even if he had strengthened his blades, he had only managed to cut down a fourth of the cyborg's wrist.

"Move it Tonfa-Boy!" even if he wanted to, he sure as hell couldn't, not with his blades _stuck _inside the man's wrists.

**"MOVE!"** came the warning roar and he knew in that split second that Bates had finished charging. Owens began to struggle in earnest, pulling with all his might; he was _not _going to let his weapons go! He'd rather _die _than allow his precious weapons to be smashed to pieces.

"You better let go boy," the cyborg was looking down at him, his eyes narrowed yet he made no move to help him. Mason threw a blistering glare at him, his upper lip pulled up baring his teeth,

"I'd rather die than let go," he snarled and he saw something soften in the Strawhat's eyes,

"Good answer," the large man grunted before an ear-splitting howl tore up the air and Bates hurled himself towards them, his eyes bleeding between red and gold, the region around his clenched knuckles were shining a brilliant white as the man powered toward them,

**"GOLIATH!"** the blazing white fist blasted at the two and Mason closed his eyes; it wasn't Faylar's fault that he couldn't stop himself. The term 'Carica' or charge worked as a double-edge-blade for the Donquixote. It gave an incredible and inhuman boost of power to the user and it was, in some ways a final blow that was meant to take out both yourself and your opponent. The pills unlocked the reserves in men's flight or fight reaction while completely draining the man's life force allowing the man a chance to grant his last wish. One Carica sucked up a good 40% of a man's life force.

Two Caricas…

Well…you go out with a bang.

* * *

Each man has his own form of Carcia, yet they knew the consequences of using it so they were strictly told to set it aside until they were faced with either a situation where they didn't any other options or their king commanded them to.

In Faylar Bates' case, the man was more than eager to utilize his ill-gotten power despite the fact that he had partners who was more than capable of helping him take down the cyborg. He was a proud man standing at six four with long maroon colored hair that swept over his eyes and drew down his chiseled features. He had his long deceased mother's catlike emerald eyes and his long gone father's straight nose. At the age of 23, Bates had volunteered himself in Smile's mad scientist's experiments and came out three years later five inches taller, broader shoulders, spikes aligning his arms and a sadistic grin on his face. He was immediately put to work in the Donquixote Guardia and spent the majority of his time as Trebol's silent assassin.

One might ask why a person such as him would be called to carry out such assignments seeing that he was more made to be a monkey man than dabble in something that requires silence and precision. So it was rather a surprise when Evaluation day came and everyone took notice how swift the man was on his feet and that he was even faster and more bloodthirsty and competent at disemboweling heads than any of the participants. The man was blessed with the talent to slide a blade from a victim's ear to the other and neatly lay out their inner organs in the order of biggest to smallest without the target realizing that they've just been gutted.

Faylar was built with the words, vulgar, hot tempered, vicious, rambunctious and reckless and in general, not a very pleasant person to hang around.

Although to this day, no one really understood why cute and fluffy and cuddly animals still sometimes flocked to him…

Now, as the sharp ends of his teeth closed around the twin tablets set against his fangs, Bates didn't even pause to think of regretting a lick of his suicidal decision; he had done his job and it was to live and die for the king. He was more than eager to prove that he had worth, that he possessed something that others didn't and that was his mental strength; to be able to tolerate and withstand almost any sort of pain.

In his arrogance and recklessness, the man had once challenged the Shichibukai himself and as everyone expected…he had his ass handed to him on a silver platter.

The pills, mixed with his saliva, began their journey down his throat.

3

_"__Ah," _something flashed into Faylar's mind and he felt a slight pang as he glanced over his shoulder at the man expertly hindering the machine's advance, _"I remember his name now," _he had a few more precious seconds left to chance a look at the other male in front of him currently locked in battle, "_I remember his too."_

_2_

_"__Pentel…and…Mason," _the beginnings of what can be called a fond smile kicked up the corners of Bate's lips and he let out a sigh; his mission was about to be accomplished.

1

Then his mind had the nerve to flick something else up and Faylar's dark orbs widened,

"B*tch got lucky after all," he managed to spit out past clenched teeth before blindingly white lights filled his irises and he lost all rationality.

0

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**Thank you for reading!**

**I know Franky probably can't have his Shogun on autopilot but Oda hasn't really showed much of Franky's Robot's functions so it leaves me to make things up hehe. **

**Quattro: Italian word for 4**

**Expected Update:**

**Retribution: 07/29/15 (SET)**

**Scorching Heat of Summer: 07/28/15 (TENTATIVE)**


	12. Chapter 12 Reunion

**Reunion**

**Credits to Hanzatsu-Hime and G(Oda) for concept and characters! **

**Thank you to you amazing reviewers and readers for supporting this story! **

**Death-By-Sanity: bwahahahahaha! I totally forgot about those nipple lights! Don't worry! Now that i remembered them and their uses, i'll be sure to put them to work! Thanks for reminding me!**

* * *

Robin felt her body suddenly give way as something sharp buried into the corners of her jacket, pining her upper body to the wall. Twin slender arms immediately sprouted from the walls and gripped onto the handles of the blades only to burst into petals when she realized that the handles were crafted with seastone.

The sun had finally set and the sound of cries and crackles of bonfires and lamps were the only things keeping the darkness at bay.

The noise of boots crunching leaves had her snapping her head to the side as her opponent stepped into the light of a street lamp,

"Amos," her voice was soft, layered with unyielding hardness as she came face to face with the man who had been in and out of her life for the last two years.

He had ink black hair that hung in wavy lines down his face and tapered off just below his neck. Startling green eyes now narrowed sharply down by drawn eyebrows seem to glow beneath the dim lighting as the man closed the gap between them. An equally dark half-mask hid the left side of his face; tendrils of burn scars marred the Guard's otherwise ruggedly appealing appearance.

He paused a foot away from her, the hair falling past his face as he canted his head to the side,

"Pettirosso," the Strawhat, well-known for her calm and tranquility, found herself struggling to push back a curse threatening to leave her lips; she knew in that moment, that he was no longer using that term as an endearment, rather it was a hushed warning that made her feel like the air surrounding her would suffocate her.

So he was a double agent after all, she realized and a part of her wondered why Dragon himself didn't take any action to exploit the man. During her partnership with the revolutionary leader, Nico Robin had made sure she kept herself distant from most of the organization and its revolutionaries – aside from the three, currently carrying investigations in Dressrosa. Rather, she made it clear that they should be aware of her main occupation and that they treat her with the attitude of two groups going through a business transaction; impersonal, respectful, and courteous.

Yet she found herself opening up a bit – just a little bit – to a man who went by the name Amos Capello who had been assigned as her partner for a few of her assignments. The duo had formed something of a bond during their time together and he in returned, revealed tidbits of himself as they worked.

Robin wasn't a fool as to think she had some sort of deep and soul-searing connecting with Amos, far from it actually. She was well aware of their terse friendship; the man might as well be the male version of her with his equally stoic demeanor and his all-too irritating impassive expression. While he was nonchalant and aloof with the members of the organization, it was not a mere boast that he was beyond proficient at his profession. The man was built with the body to engage in skirmishes with deadly precision and perform quick and efficient investigations that often ended in success. He wasn't one of Dragon's personal men, he wasn't even a high-ranking lackey either, but he had his own spotlight of admiration.

He preferred calling her name in Italian and often shortened it to 'Pett' whenever he felt that her name was too long.

Did she secretly enjoy the way her name rolled off his tongue whenever he sent that endearment towards her?

_Yes _

Did she sometimes allow herself to show the smile she usually graced her beloved nakamas with, just to see the corners of his lips turn up because she directed it at him?

_…__Yes _

And did she, for a short time…in rare cases of relaxation…let herself loose just to watch the male carbon copy of herself reveal a side of him she would never have thought existed?

Yes…yes…and yes.

The man had been quickly becoming something more than just a mere acquaintance, he was beginning to break down the walls and barriers she had set up; with others, Robin drew the line at 'connections from high places,' her nakamas were placed their own category altogether.

Yet for Amos, she couldn't really put him in a set group, she couldn't even place him in with Sabo and Hack.

The man was an entire class of his own. He was someone who gave a level-headed woman like her trouble when it came to defining the lines of their relationship.

_Him, _the person who now stood a scant foot away from her person with his head cocked, the all too familiar half-mask shadowing his left eye, and the memorable little smile on his lips.

"It has been awhile." In that split second, Nico Robin shut down; the brief tug on her heartstrings along with the bit of shock had been neatly squashed and wiped clean off her heart.

"Ambrose." His name was spoken with doctoral detachment. It was cold and clinical and to her pleasure, the man wasn't able to hold back from exhaling at her tone. She could see the way his eyes hardened and his drawn features stiffen as he accepted her decision, she was –

"Is this how you wish for our reunion to begin?" he wasn't asking, he was _demanding_. Demanding her to lose the detached tone and return the woman two years ago. The soft rumble in his otherwise smooth tone had her harden her own resolve,

"There was never a reunion to begin with. Ambrose." She was already recognizing the slight twitch of his fingers signaling his growing annoyance.

"Is that so." He said softly and took a step to her, moving closer till the fringes of his cape brushed against her bare legs. Immediately, multiple, willowy hands shot out from both sides of his head and upper torso in an attempt to strangle him only to burst into a wave of petals when Robin realized that his mask and sections of his garment had been fashioned with bits and pieces of seastone glued and embedded into the fabric.

A rare hint of a smile touched the corners of his lips, "you seem surprised Pett, you didn't bother to hide that you were a devilfruit user," Robin made sure the sides of her lips stayed down,

"It wasn't never a secret," she replied and was forced to grit her teeth when the handle of another seastone imbued dagger pushed against the hallow of her chin, lifting her head up in an almost punishing gesture,

"Did you try to look for me when I left?" the cool denial in her eyes was his answer; she didn't try to contact him, not really. Sure whenever she had time – which wasn't much- the woman allowed herself to cast her eyes over the seas as her mind flicked over to a certain dark figure with striking emerald eyes and pitch black mask covering the burns. In some ways, he was like her, mysterious, unapproachable and enigmatic.

Amos was the man she worked with the last two years, he was the man she let see hints of her softer side, he was the one who had her stomach shifting whenever he permitted her those rare glimpses of his smile. He wasn't _this, _this stranger who was now staring at her with the eyes of a killer and wearing the smile of the person two years ago.

This wolf in sheepskin…this predator…he wasn't Amos.

So why shouldn't she feel anything but nothingness and numb betrayal?

Amos no, _Ambrose_' eyes traveled down her body and landed on his crumpled poster lying on the floor,

"Liar," his rebuke was gentle as his gloved hands closed over her wrists and she was wretched into the dark–

**"****WHAT THE F*CK ARE YOU DOING TO ROBIN-SEMPAI?!"**

* * *

"Shit it's already dark," Zoro stopped to scratch his head in confusion as he studied his surroundings; beyond the citizens of Dressrosa still in the midst of panicked confusion and the ever-loving explosions coming from the middle of the city, he _still _hadn't been able to find his mark. The night certainly wasn't doing any good and the moon was doing an absolutely pathetic job at substituting the rays of the sun.

Maybe if he turned…here… in the corner of his eye, the swordsman caught the brief flick of a cloak disappearing behind a corner and burst in a heavy sprint all but leaping around the side only to find nothing.

He let out a heavy sigh and spun around only to slam head to head with another figure coming up behind him,

"Ooompf!" the swordsman stumbled back rubbing his head, his already drawn brows were now mashed together creating a very nice and connected uni-brow. The offender in front of him was also mimicking his actions; his thick brows too, were pulled together as he glared up at Zoro,

"Please watch where you are going," he muttered gruffly, the superior yet humble charade he put up pricked an irritating nerve and Zoro leveled the stranger with searing a glare of his own,

"You should be watching your-" he froze and let his eyes fall from the man to the nearly torn poster fisted in his hand; the hair buzz cut military style, well over six feet, toned arms, two guns strapped to his sides and the distinguishable knife wound on his left….cheek. Zoro allowed his quickly narrowing eyes to drift over the man in front of him and felt the simmering fire rise up and nearly consume him; bingo.

"You." The word came out as a blistering growl; calm didn't even register in his mind as he, in a flash, had his swords in his fists and the other in a firm clench between his teeth.

Zoro lunged, his arms hung low, allowing the tips of his blades to scrape along the ground, sharpening it, honing it, whetting its bloodthirsty appetite. A searing haze of crimson flashed over his vision as his wrists began to spin, whirling his blades as he hurled into the air, his lean body nearly parallel to the earth,

**"SANTORYU OGI: SANZEN SEKAI!"**

* * *

**A/N: And the battle we've been waiting for has begun! Our fanboy is making his move too! Anyone beginning to ship? XD**

**I've decided to give Retribution another update sometime late next week. I know this may be longer than usual but the reason is because i need time to put all my effort into Zoro and Serg's confrontation and give you the best experience i can give.**

**Scorching Heat of Summer will be a little late in updates but the fic will continue to be updated as planned**

**Expected Update:**

**Retribution: 08/06/15 (SET)**

**Scorching Heat of Summer: 08/04/15 (SET)**


	13. Chapter 13 Reciprocate

**Reciprocate**

**Credits to Hanzatsu-Hime and G(Oda) for both concept and One Piece itself.**

**Wow! It took alot longer than i thought to get this going. ^^ **

* * *

"Shit it's already dark," Zoro stopped to scratch his head in confusion as he studied his surroundings; beyond the citizens of Dressrosa still in the midst of panicked confusion and the ever-loving explosions coming from the middle of the city, he _still _hadn't been able to find his mark. The night certainly wasn't doing any good and the moon was doing an absolutely pathetic job at substituting the rays of the sun.

Maybe if he turned…here… in the corner of his eye, the swordsman caught the brief flick of a cloak disappearing behind a corner and burst in a heavy sprint all but leaping around the side only to find nothing.

He let out a heavy sigh and spun around only to slam head to head with another figure coming up behind him,

"Ooompf!" the swordsman stumbled back rubbing his head, his already drawn brows were now mashed together creating a very nice and connected uni-brow. The offender in front of him was also mimicking his actions; his thick brows too, were pulled together as he glared up at Zoro,

"Please watch where you are going," he muttered gruffly, the superior yet humble charade he put up pricked an irritating nerve and Zoro leveled the stranger with searing a glare of his own,

"You should be watching your-" he froze and let his eyes fall from the man to the nearly torn poster fisted in his hand; the hair buzz cut military style, well over six feet, toned arms, two guns strapped to his sides and the distinguishable knife wound on his left….cheek. Zoro allowed his quickly narrowing eyes to drift over the man in front of him and felt the simmering fire rise up and nearly consume him; bingo.

"You." The word came out as a blistering growl; calm didn't even register in his mind as he, in a flash, had his swords in his fists and the other in a firm clench between his teeth.

Zoro lunged, his arms hung low, allowing the tips of his blades to scrape along the ground, sharpening it, honing it, whetting its bloodthirsty appetite. A searing haze of crimson flashed over his vision as his wrists began to spin, whirling his blades as he hurled into the air, his lean body nearly parallel to the earth,

**"****SANTORYU OGI: SANZEN SEKAI!"** there was a resounding explosion that blasted apart the night sky and when the dust cleared, the verdict found the swordsman locked in a fierce battle against the man who had the flat of his guns crossed and pressed against all three of his blades strategically blocking and preventing the sharp ends from cutting down. There was the sickening sound of blood spurting out as three perpendicular slashes crisscrossed the man's chest and he coughed, letting out a hoarse chuckle,

"You got me pretty good there boy." Before Zoro could even blink, he found himself grabbed by the back of the collar and his face smashed to the dirt, both of his arms were bound behind his back and held down by a foot. In a flash, three quiet pings went off and blood spattered down his arms and shoulders before the weight lifted off him and he found three bullets lodged down his shoulder blades,

"An eye for an eye," Rafael Serg explained as he stared down at him, the way he said it made it sound as if they were simply playing a game…it sounded almost…casual. Zoro's tapered brows furrowed down as he cracked his neck and set his swords over one shoulder before slashing them down to the ground with all his might.

Air so sharp it cut whistled from his blades and shot straight for Serg, the wounds looked as if they did nothing to hinder the man's movements for his wrists flicked up and he fired, his bullets spiraling in opposition to the current, cutting through the strike till the moment the slash hit him, it passed harmlessly through his body only to have the bite of a blade appear out of nowhere and cut straight down his torso,

"Tooth for a tooth," Zoro retorted and bore his blades down simultaneously slicing into the whistle of bullets. Suddenly, the swordsman transferred one of his swords to his other hand and drew back his arm, his biceps bulging, his hands formed into a tight fist as he punched down and knuckles connected with cheek. Blood spattered from the man's lips and to his satisfaction, a tooth loosened from Serg's jaw and flew out of his mouth. Zoro bit back a wince as a knee shot up and nailed him straight between his legs.

"Unlike some, I don't turn the other cheek," was the reply as a large fist smashed straight into his eye and he plunged his blade down in retaliation. The f*cking man was just going to have to die, Zoro decided as he lashed his blade at him only to have the firing end of the guns expertly blocking his attack.

How the f*ck was he doing this? He wondered as he increased the speed of his slashes, cutting, jabbing and viciously lacerating, the muscles in his body moving as one, syncopating with him, thirsting for more than just the shallow gnashes his cuts managed to make; they craved for the blood to gush, to flow and to burst like a f*cking fountain and coat the ground in front of him. They were demanding for that promised retribution, they-

"She was pretty darn tight." The side comment had the swordsman jerking out of his murderous haze and freezing dead on the spot.

What. Did. The. F*cker. Just. Say?

The man was simply asking to die a very, very painful death. From the nonchalant look on his face, he was practically asking to be strung to a tree by his lacerated intestines with his bloody dick stuffed down his throat.

A sadistic smile tore up his dark expression as Zoro tightened his grip even further and he raised his arms and leaped into the air, tucking his body into a ball, the razor edges of his blades out as he spun toward the leader the of Guardia,

**"HYO KIN DAMA!"** the cold air whipped around his body as he tore past the man who let out a grunt of pain as his swords sliced through sinew and bone,

**"BLIZNETS AD[1]!"** something struck out and interrupted the flow of his spinning and somehow…_somehow _Zoro found himself abruptly cut off as his legs planted themselves firmly to the ground and he was pushed back a few feet.

There, twin guns inked black, set once more in the middle where his blades crossed, his ripped arms heaving from the effort as the leader managed to once again halt his movements.

"That's enough." There was another soft ping that the swordsman almost missed and he felt his knees, out of the blue, give way bringing him to ground; the f*cker had shot clean through his kneecaps.

Hissing through his teeth, Zoro lifted his head to meet the same guns aiming point blank at his forehead, "I said enough," a minute tremble went through the swordsman's body as he tilted his chin up, the eerie grin widened even further as he, with inhuman willpower, pushed himself to his feet and leaned nose to nose with Donquixote's leader,

"Or what?" it was a blatant challenge along with the violent ripple of malicious fury as strength clashed with strength, pure male and testosterone hung heavy in the air, the tension so thick it was almost suffocating.

* * *

Rafael Serg took a few steps back and this time, he took a good look his opponent before he allowed himself to really begin to hope; he was _good._

It was taking Rafael everything he had in him not to give the swordsman a homicidal smile of his own; the man was more than good, he was a f*cking _beast_.

The second they clashed, Serg felt the man's immense and almost frightening level of strength that had him trembling from his shoulders down.

It wasn't in fear; rather it was the high intensity of adrenaline and anticipation coursing through him that had his entire body shaking. He was just so f*cking excited that he'd found a person who had the ability to match his own power. Rafael was a man of destruction; he had the capability to rend buildings in two and level foundations to the ground. He was suppose to the be the leader, the role model, the one whom his men looked up to and took orders from and didn't ask questions. Sure he played nice most of the time but once in a while, he needed a way to release some of that pent up energy and that was by pitting the odds against him.

He loved challenges, couldn't and wouldn't ever refuse them. Be it with him in a gladiator ring and pitted against 100 to 1 and the chances slim to none and he'd still play his heart out.

He played hard, worked hard, and whenever opportunity came, f*cked even harder.

Now, now there was a challenger in front of him, one who could give him a run for his money…no…the man could more than possibly give him a fight he'd have to stake his life on.

Serg kept his grip on the handle of his darling armaments loose and although he looked like a man who utilized nothing but raw power, he wasn't stupid, far from it. Commander Rafael Serg was a clever, clever man who wasn't above exploiting his opponents and strategically breaking them down till they fell to their knees. Each and every one of his actions were measured and used with a carefully controlled amount of force, enough so that his opponent, in the end, would be reduced to nothing more than a fool begging for mercy.

But this man in standing before, this man was much, much different than his previous competitors. He reeked of sheer strength and masculinity and the look in his eyes! To Serg, the eyes were the true windows to a person's soul, and this man holding his gaze told him that death should be the one shaking in fear, that he and death could go and f*ck themselves.

This man had Serg putting him in the highest rank of admiration and respect.

This man, who was proudly standing straight, his chin tilting at an arrogant angle, was now currently beginning to piss him off, and very, _very _few things bothered him.

This man, was worthy of him cutting loose and bringing out his own beast.

So Serg goaded him; although he didn't remember the details of the rape, his mind still retained bits and pieces of the memory that would've been enough to leave a grown man considering suicide but to the Commander, it was simply ammunition. He had put his poster and the livid swordsman together and had drawn to the conclusion that the woman was held of high value. Therefore, it was fitting to believe that the man was here for revenge.

Serg let out a low chuckle before his wrists flipped the gun around till he was gripping the weapons' barrel. Deft fingers flicked on the safety lock and slid open another button and two long blades unfolded themselves from the butt of the gun, unfurling till sharp tip touched the top of his boots.

Sinister black Haki flowed down the blades, hardening and strengthening them till they were unbreakable. Since the man was a swordsman, he should honor him by crossing blades with his own.

Mockingly, he tapped the flat of his blade on the tip of his boot and flicked the second one toward his opponent,

"Ready?" the swordsman smiled; his grin gone completely feral as he crossed his arms and bent forward,

"Come at me f*cker."

* * *

[1] _"__BLIZNETS AD!" : Russian for, "Twin Hell."_

* * *

**_A/N: Because i feel incredibly guilty for taking so long to release this, the next chapter will be up in two days!_**

**Expected Update:**

**Retribution: 08/09/15**

**Scorching Heat of Summer: 08/09/15**


	14. Chapter 14 Raunchy

**Raunchy**

**Credits to Hanzatsu-Hime for concept and G(Oda) for characters!**

**Death-By-Sanity: Hahaha thank you!**

**And thank you to my silent readers as well!**

**If i happened to horribly botch up the translations and the words themselves. I apologize, i'm not of Italian descent nor am i of Spanish ^^. i did my best looking for all the insults i could find and tried to verify them to see if they're accurate. Google translate isn't to be trusted either (hehe). Feel free to correct me if i'm wrong! Thank you!**

* * *

A mixture of snot and tears slid down both sets of drawn cheek bones and flowed over the slime covered nose ring as frantic fingers ran over his already mussed up, flashy green hair.

"When I find Robin-sempai I'm going to make sure to ask her if I can be her s-s-s-s-sl-" Pure ecstasy and adoration streamlined through the man's already infatuated mind as he covered his mouth and tried to hide the stupid grin slobbering all over his face.

Meet Bartolomeo the Cannibal, the biggest f*cking Strawhat-obsessed fan the world has ever seen. He is the person millions of readers flock to and live vicariously through. He is our eyes and ears and the person we rely on in order to further immerse ourselves in the world of One Piece.

We should take a moment to thank Oda for this.

Thank you Oda.

"Robin-sempai with all due respect please bestow me with your grace and allow me to be your slave." The man in question was doing what many men would do when they are gearing themselves up meet a gorgeous woman…they rehearse yes?

"Oh beautiful and magnificent Robin- no not this one," Bartolomeo chucked the discarded flashcard over his shoulder as he continued to make his way down Dressrosa's streets paying no mind to the steadily growing chaos.

"Oh, Robin-sempai! With thou brave honey-tongued nimble-pinion! Thou long and slender- **OI! WATCH WHERE THE F*CK YOU'RE GOING!**" he roared as someone slammed into his shoulder upsetting the stack of cards in his hands.

"People these days," he muttered as he bent to retrieve the few pieces that fell out of his grip when his ears twitched and a familiar perfume wafted over his nose,

"R-r-r-r-obin-s-s-s-sempai!" as soon as the smell of object of his infatuation hit him, the man's brain immediately shut down and he was reduced to the hard-core fan boy he was.

His slow gait increased till he was sprinting like a maniac over the cobbled stones and ruined infrastructures and skidded to a stop only to witness a scene that he would forever take to his grave,

**"WHAT THE F*CK ARE YOU DOING TO ROBIN-SEMPAI?!"** gone were the tears and snot and in its place was a raging bull with his rooster hair quivering at attention and his nose ring fluttering out with each angry puff.

The offender froze from his ministrations and slightly swiveled his head to spare him a glance before considering him insignificant and turned back.

Images of his precious sempai being held against her will and her reputation tarnished sent a bolt of rage searing through Bartolomeo's body and with a roar, he lunged,

"Barrier Crash!" a translucent, thick wall rushed forward and with a twitch of his fingers, leaped straight ahead to slam into his opponent. With a move that looked as if he was doing nothing more than playing hopscotch with a child, the stranger pushed at the ground and soared into the air at an astonishingly high rate.

_"__Dardo__**[1]**__" _four blurs rotating at high speed sped toward the devilfruit user only to be blocked by the same wall,

"Hahahaha! You think those f*cking measly things can penetrate my barrier?" Bartolomeo smirked as he crossed his fingers and arms, "think again!" the tip of his index fingers flicked and the wall arched back and with a snap, hurled the darts straight back to their owe-,

**"Sh*it ROBIN-SEMPAI!"** Bartolomeo sprang up to see that his rebounded attack was not only aimed toward the man, but towards his beloved idol.

To his shock, the man simply tucked the woman over his shoulder and with his other arm, knocked the flying darts back to him,

"F*ck, Barrier!" Bartolomeo barely had time to put up his block when an explosion rocked the ground and he was shoved down on his ass. There was a cry as a scuffle took place in the sky as Bartolomeo watched beneath the glare of the moon as Robin managed to place her hands on her captor's unprotected neck and there was a shout of, "Clutch!"

Instead of hearing the gleeful sound of bones cracking, there was an answering scream that had Bartolomeo springing to his feet as he watched in shock as her subjugator slipped from her neck-breaking grip by wrapping an arm around his own neck, effectively blocking her,

_"__Punto Scuro!__**[2]**__"_ the stranger pressing two fingers together, lifted his arm into the air and with lightening speed, brought it down and up into Robin's diaphragm.

**"ROBIN-SEMPAI!"** fingers crossed, Bartolomeo molded the wall into steps and used them to boost him into the air. "Give her back you f*cker!" the stranger casted him a look, his emerald eyes glimmering with annoyance,

"Don't you ever give up?" he hissed and as a reply, Bart stuck a finger into his nose, scooped out the first booger he could get, rolled it into a ball and with an expert flick of his finger, sent it soaring straight for the man's forehead.

It connected with a soft plop.

There was a pause as the man practically gaped at Bartolomeo with his mouth parted open before he snapped it shut and wiped the offensive mucus from his head,

"You scum," he spat, a vein bulged from his neck as he pointed two fingers at our fanboy and rumbled,

_"__Sei!__**[3]**__"_ two thick beams of energy shot from his fingertips and before Bartolomeo could even react, the lasers shot straight through both of his thighs sinking him to the ground,

"_Non interferire!_ Do not interfere!" He was angry, heavy waves of dark aura wafted around his body making his appearance more frightening than ever. Bartolomeo grunted, his vision beginning to waver and flicker from the pain as he forced himself to his feet,

"Not until you give sempai back," he growled and his arms flung out, throwing the force of the energy he had managed to gather with his power back at their proprietor,

"Eat that you piece of sh*t!" he shouted as the ball of energy slung from his blockade and swung straight for the man only to have him step -side his attack. Another beam shot his way and Bartolomeo, with a pinky up his nose, had his barrier interrupting the blow, allowing the blow to uselessly bounce off. Another twist of his hands had his wall splitting and forming beneath his feet carrying him into the air while the other half kept Bartolomeo safely tucked away from the man's blasts,

"You don't deserve to even touch her," he growled as he launched himself at the man, twisting just in time to dodge another beam and with an expert jab of his leg, kicked the man straight in his unprotected throat.

The man made a horrible choking sound and Bartolomeo noticed his grip on Robin slacken and in a flash, he had his hands wrapped around her ankle,

_"__Si po' merda!__**[4]**__" _the man hissed and he righted himself and with his free hand, grabbed Bart by the back of his head and slammed him right into his protruding knee. Bartolomeo let out a howl but refused to loosen his grip,

"Well *pant* you know what?! _Hai delle tette stupende__**[5]**_ to you too!" the grip on his lime green hair stilled and suddenly, he found a foot placed over his diaphragm and he was booted so hard the air left his lungs.

"Shit!" he gasped, all the while wondering why the stranger was staring at him with mixed expressions of anger and horror,

_"__Mi stai prendendo per il culo__**[6]**__." _The bewildered tone in the man's voice poured a bit more of courage in our fanboy's veins and he coughed once before tightening his grip onto his sempai's slim ankles and leaned forward,

"Oh yea? Well you're a f*cking _Puttana_[7]_!" _Bartolomeo wasn't well-versed in Italian insults and he sure as heck didn't know what he was saying. He had heard a few of his crewmates who happened to be of Italian descent frequently speak in their mother tongue and had picked up a bit. But at the moment, he didn't care that his Italian was pretty botched up; the only thing that mattered was that his insult had the desired effect. The man's already pale skin was steadily turning into a sickly shade of insipid white,

"Silence you fool!" the furious, accented tinge of Italian began seeping in the captor's voice as he with a loud hiss, jerked away with Bartolomeo hot on his heels as the duo sped across the dark sky.

* * *

[1] "Dardo" : Dart

[2] _"__Punto Scuro!" : Italian for Dark Point_

[3] _"__Sei" : Italian word for number 6_

[4] _"__Si po' merda!" : Italian word for, "you little shit!"_

[5] "_Hai delle tette stupende" : Italian for, "you have nice tits"_

[6] "_Mi stai prendendo per il culo." : Italian for, "you've got to be f*cking kidding me."_

[7] _"__Puttana" : Italian word for "whore"_

* * *

The little fool had no idea what he was saying, Ambrose darted past the man's grasping hands and he whipped down to land onto the ground and was about to sprint off when he suddenly swerved and barely avoided a collision with three of his partners from the Donquixote,

"Ambrose!" the man turned to see three men jogging toward him, their dark uniforms perfectly camouflaging into the night,

"Bastilla, Rye, Chuy," he nodded his head at them and let out a sigh when he caught the irritating flash of green streak in front of him,

"Wait right there you two-face-" the man skidded to a stop; his smug expression froze when he took in the sight of eight pairs of eyes training toward him. Ambrose felt a little jolt of satisfaction run through him when he saw the way the man practically wilted in front of him; the idiot got what was coming for him. What was the little fool spouting about again? Ambrose inwardly shuddered when he remembered what the man was_ insulting _him with; Ambrose Canola definitely _does not _fall so low as to commit such despicable deeds.

_"__Es que usted molesto__**[8]**__?"_ at a dominating 7 '5', Antonio Bastilla towered over the group, his black blue hair streaked red curled over his face as he glared down at the lime-haired man, his large hands curling into fists,

_"__dejarlo para mi__**[9]**__." _Ambrose instructed as he gently swung his Pett's body into the cradle of his arms; he needed her to understand why he betrayed her, the sooner they got past this hurdle, the sooner he could win back her trust.

"Y-you wanna have a language fight with me again?! Huh?! Well I have something to say to you too! _Penso di essermi innamorato di te__**[10]**__!_" at the confession, the second-in-command of the Donquixote Guardia felt the back of his ears burn as the Guardias turned their heads to face him, their brows raised in question. Antonio sported a surprised look while Levi was busy trying to hide his snicker in the form of a cough. Aiden, being a mixture of Korean and European and had enough knowledge of Italian to understand, didn't bother to hide the guffaw bursting from his chest.

"I-is he, is he confessing his love to you?" the dragon earring on Levi's ear winked under the lamp light and he finally dropped to his knees and slammed his fist onto the ground in a fit of uncontrollable laughter,

"I think he is," Aiden's wide chest was heaving as he gasped for breath.

The offender, now thoroughly encouraged, straightened his back and shouted,

_"__Lo so che non doveri, ma provo veramente qualcosa per te__**[11]**__!" _the poor second-in-command's ears and face was now straining not to turn an embarrassingly blotchy red as he, with a growl, shoved his Pett into Antonio's shaking arms and launched himself at the little fool; he was going to kill him!

* * *

[8] "_Es que usted molesto?" : Spanish for, "is he bothering you?"_

[9] "_dejarlo para mi." : Spanish for, "leave him to me."_

[10] "_Penso di essermi innamorato di te" : Italian for, "I think I'm in love with you!" _

[11] _"__Lo so che non doveri, ma provo veramente qualcosa per te!" : Italian for, "I probably shouldn't feel this way but I do."_

* * *

**A/N: Thank you for reading!**

**Expected Update:**

**Retribution: 09/10/15**

**Scorching Heat of Summer:**


	15. Chapter 15 Rescue

**Rescue**

**Hello readers! I sincerely apologize for this incredibly late update! My muse and imagination has officially decided to band together abandon me to wander off somewhere for god knows how long and so I've been having trouble getting back into writing. Don't worry I don't plan on giving up, i just need to rest and gather materials for a few weeks...months...years...eheheh. It makes me wonder and gape in awe at writers who have that uncanny ability to continuously pour out update after update without taking some sort of long break when you have people like me who need to stop after a few chapters to give their depleting ideas a chance recharge. *Sigh* i really admire you writers who seem to have an endless supply of ideas.**

**Joy-girl: Welcome back! I'm glad that I've been able to convert the One Piece 'feels' into writing! I'll take that as a compliment haha! You're probably right concerning the constant split of point of views between characters but it shouldn't be too long now till i start to settle down and narrow down the point of views back to our crew. Thank you for enjoying my story!**

**Credits of Hanzatsu-Hime for the concept and G(Oda) for his One Piece characters! I owe nothing but my own OCs and...uhh...yea...that's about it...**

* * *

Sanji had heard the start of a fight blowing up some hundred yards away from his person and was already running towards the sound. With some luck, he might run into his perpetrators.

And he got lucky, as soon as he leaped from the building he was currently standing on, he came just in time to hear the words, "I think I'm in love with you!" echo throughout the alley followed by another round of boisterous laughter.

What the hell? The cook stalked closer to see a man sporting a brilliant hair color of green along with a nose ring and an angry expression scream, "I probably shouldn't feel this way but I do!" Now Sanji was thoroughly confused as he watched the three men he identified in his posters break out in a fit of mirth. One on was on the floor clutching his stomach and pounding the ground while the other wiped tears from his eyes and the other large man was chuckling while holding a limp and unconscious-

**"****WHY THE F*CK ARE YOU HOLDING MY ROBIN-CHWAAAANN!?"** the question came out as an enraged howl as the flaming chef shot toward the group, his body flying in the air, the sole of his right leg stuck out as he slammed his heel into the giant's cheek. With a roar on pain, the man released his crewmate and Sanji quickly dove down elegantly sweeping his lifeless damsel into his arms. The swirl of his brows were quivering in anger when a loud and excited wail startled him from his murderous rage,

**"****S-S-S-S-S-SANJI S-SEMP-PAI! A-A-A-A-AHHHHH!"** the cook nearly yelped as he leaped away from the lime-haired man running toward him with his arms clenched over his mouth, tears pouring down his cheeks, his eyes shining with unconstrained and ecstatic stimulation.

A vomit-worthy scene flashed in front of our cook's eyes; images of large men cross-dressing in woman's clothing, their thick lips coated with a vibrant red lipstick, their eyes drawn over and shaded with liner and mascara…

**"****NOOOOOOOO! F*CK YOUUUUUUU!"** he spun and did a whirlwind kick narrowly missing the man's face, **"GET THE HELL AWAY FROM MEEEEEEE!"**

_They were reaching for him, their eyes sparkling in delight and lust as their large hands and equally large fingers with their nails painted coral pink._

_Chasing him, their monstrous lips pursed in preparation, impossibly long lashes blinking in flirtatious beckoning as they turned their come-to-me palms toward him._

_Reaching for him._

_Reaching for him._

Something large pounced at him, a black gloved hand reached for his face and the cook let out a bellow as he flipped back, making sure that he didn't jostle his precious crewmate,

"Hold on a little longer Robin-chwan." He gritted his teeth as he ricocheted off a wall and up onto the top of a building,

**"****S-SANJI-SEMPAI!"** the chef nearly shrieked when he realized that the ugly man had climb up right behind him,

"Come back 'ere you little git!" a large fist smashed down out of nowhere only to be blocked by a transparent wall the nose-ringed man had put up,

"You're a devilfruit user?" Sanji's curled brow rose in surprise as he glanced up at the sturdy dome,

"Y-yes sempai! I ate the barrier, barrier fruit!" the man was just about writhing in excitement, his head tilted back to look at him with an expression of a puppy waiting to be praised. Sanji coughed,

"Err, good job," he muttered and the man let out a happy squeal as another wave of tears streamed down his face,

**"****TH-TH-TH-THANK YOU SEMPAI! C-CAN I HAVE YOU'RE A-AUTOGRAPH?"** it was a plea that had the cook wincing as he tenderly laid Robin down to the ground,

"Please forgive me for allowing you to rest on this filthy ground Robin-san," he pulled off his jacket and rolled it into some sort of pillow before tucking it underneath her head, "I'll be sure to make this up to you." He rose to his feet and turned to face the four adversaries, his eyes landing and narrowing on the one who, at the moment, was wearing an expression of pure malevolence.

The stranger stepped forward, his back straight, the cloak around him billowing out and the cook shifted back a step. The man strode a few feet forward and stopped, he held out his right arm, hands curled expectantly,

"Stranger, release her." The command had Sanji sneering; who was he to order him around?

"I'm going to allow you to use your barrier to protect Robin-san," he didn't break his staring contest as he spoke, "but if I see that a hair on her beautiful head is injured or if I see you touching her, I will grind your bones to f*cking bits. You hear me shitty man?" there was a choked sob of happiness and the sound of a bone cracking as the man nodded, his tear filled eyes shining fervently at him,

**"****H-HAI! SANJI-SEMPAI! I WILL PROTECT HER WITHOUT FAIL!"** With his hands in his pockets, the chef walked off the top of the building, landing with elegant ease onto the ground,

"Now, who the hell are you?" he kept his eyes on the cloaked figure in front of him. The man tilted his head to the side, the light of the moon glancing off of his mask,

"Ambrose Canola, second-in-command of the Donquixote Guardia." He made no move to further state his intentions, only continued to hold out his hand, "now, hand her over." The authority in his tone had Sanji nonchalantly taking the cigarette out his mouth with his index and middle finger and tilting his head back to blow a stream of smoke in the air.

"Heh, and what if I don't want to?" the chef didn't take orders from anyone saved for the ladies and the occasional command from his captain. Other than that, Sanji took orders from no one.

Under the light of the moon, he caught the tightening of Ambrose's jaw and the man shifted forward,

"Ambrose! Me permitirá." It was the giant that Sanji had kicked in the face that lumbered up to stand beside the second in command. He was a large as  
Franky's Shogun with a huge-ass axe strapped over his back. Long, streaked hair framed strong jaws and slanted cheekbones and hung past his firm chin and trailed down a thick neck to linger below the collarbones. The man took another step forward and the ground gave a little shudder as he advanced toward the chef,

"Little man," the slight was spoken in a low rumble that seem to resonate deep in the Guardia's chest, the minor twitch of his elbow, while, to a bystander, seemed insignificant, sent the Strawhat flying back when a sudden blast split the stillness apart as the giant's axe crushed the floor beneath them, shattering and crushing the ground where Sanji had been standing. Teeth clenching onto the end of his cigarette, the blonde chef growled as he flew forward, his back arching backwards, his hands planted onto the ground as he slipped past the giant's lunging arms and tucked the soles of his shoes beneath the man's chin,

**"MUTTON SHOT!"** there was a bone-splitting crack as the large man's head snapped up only, to Sanji's astonishment, jerk back down, a meaty elbow slamming straight into the chef's unprotected side sending him crashing to the ground. The heavy sound of metal dragging along gravel rang as the giant canted his weapon and swung sideways. The cook, with a move so fast the air blurred, twisted and clamped his ankles around the section where blade connected with handle and with all his might pushed the swing over his body and aimed it directly for the giant's neck.

The sickening sound of blade sinking deep into bone had a chorus of curses and the chef darted back to watch the colossal man stagger back, his large hands grasping uselessly at the handle of his axe, blood pouring and spurting out in little cracks and pops as they streamed down his bare chest, staining his white trousers as gravity pulled his heavy body to the ground and he fell with an earth-shaking thud.

There was a soundless gurgle and another violent twitch before the large body stilled.

* * *

"He killed him." Hush admiration colored Aiden's tone as the second youngest of the Guardia turned his head to stare at the Strawhat. The young man was already reaching behind his back for his lance and Ambrose quickly intervened,

"Step down Aiden," the second-in-command kept his sharp gaze on his opponent as he reached up to undo the clasps on his cape. A frowning Levi crossed his arms and shook his head before he bent down to grab his own armaments,

"Ambrose I don't think-"

"Stand. Down." The grey-haired man's thin brows narrowed and the man backed off with an irritated huff,

"Fine, but don't say I didn't tell you." Ambrose ignored the man's disgruntled mutter and made his way in the direction of the Strawhat. Stopping a few feet away, he accessed his adversary; the man seem to be adept in fighting with his legs and he seem to have some sort of special connection with his Pett judging by the protective and angry aura that emanated from his person. A dark suspicion that this blond hair man was his Pett's new partner sent a light ripple of unease through his body. The Guardia tamped the emotion down, his chin tilted skyward as he lifted two fingers up, aimed and casually _flicked _a beam of energy at him. The Strawhat dodged and Ambrose, pinpointing his finger once more, let loose a thick laser and simply traced the beam after the man's heels as he dodged till Ambrose grew tired and tapped his pinky out, shooting an unsuspected third shot that clipped the Strawhat on his thigh,

"Are you done running?" an answering chuckle made the second in command blink in surprise only to pivot his body to the side to avoid a kick to the chest. With movements that would make a his fellow Donquixotes wonder if he had once taken up some sort of secret occupation as a contortionist, Ambrose ducked, dodged and evaded flying kicks with such ease it was as if he was taking a stroll. He twisted down and hunched down in time to release another beam, slicing past his adversary's calf. The man leaped into the air and spun, whirling his body into a blinding frenzy as flames suddenly erupted from his body.

There was an excited exclamation of "holy shit!" From Aiden as the Strawhat lifted a now red hot, fiery leg that glowed white from the heat, the flames burning through the fabric of his pants, turning his flesh a brilliant white as the Strawhat launched himself at Ambrose. As ridiculous as it sounds, the second in command couldn't help but stop to stare at the way the line of fire didn't stop at the Strawhat's shins but continued to engulf his body. He found his own brows rising in curious fascination at the way the thin edges of the flames followed and lighted up the delicate curves…of…the…chef's…eyebrows…

_"Shit!" _heat roared in Ambrose's face, singeing the fine hairs on his face as he was forced to throw out his arms and allow his skin to absorb the impact. The chef then proceeded to inflict a flurry of fiery kick upon burning kick onto him, stomping all over his head, face and torso, his heels destroyed the protective material of his clothes as the blonde hammered away at bare skin. The smell of burning flesh smoked the air and Ambrose gritted his teeth against the pain and tucked the heel of his foot up to smash it into the Strawhat's stomach only to find another shin blocking his attack. In a split second, the vice-commander altered his direction and bunted the tip of his boot right up the chef's jugular. The foul smelling cigarette shot out of the Strawhat's mouth and the blonde let out a clenched curse and Ambrose felt an expletive on the verge of spilling out of his own mouth as the pressure on his arms increased.

With a roar, the air sawing out of Ambrose's lungs, the taunt muscles bunching up beneath his scorched flesh, his legs planted wide as the co-commander threw his strength forward and surged. His wrist twisted upward locking onto the chef's ankle and with one hand, dragged the man to the ground as his other hand shot out and let loose another beam of energy directly in the Strawhat's face,

_"Sei!" _the night sprang up with light only to blink off as quickly as it began as Ambrose withdrew his hand to allow the Strawhat to slump to the ground at his feet. The second in command was breathing hard; he'd use up most of his strength in that particular blast and he stepped back only to grunt as a pair of burnt hands shot out and wrapped around his ankle,

"I'm, *wheeze* not done with you *cough* yet." Ambrose tilted his head down to look at the blonde lying limp on the ground, a sliver of admiration slithered into his body as he bent his head down to look at him. Before he could react, a mass of hands sprouted from his…body? Ambrose felt his face twist in, shock and disbelief as smooth flesh and fingers enclosed over the bones of his arms and neck, clasping over his throat, weaving together while a few more gripped the back of his calves.

**"CLUTCH!"** All the air in the second in command's body rushed out of him as his entire torso was yanked back, his spine letting out a scream of protest as his plasticity was pushed to its utmost limits. It was only then when he belatedly realized that the Strawhat had used his flames to burn away his clothing, making him completely exposed and vulnerable to devil-fruit users. A faint smile graced his parched lips,

"Clever Pett," he whispered, knowing without a doubt that she heard him as a dark figure flew in front of him and a heel struck his temple sending him straight into oblivion.

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**Thank you for reading!**

**Comments and Critiques are welcomed as always! **

**At the moment, I don't think i can post an expected update with my muse and imagination on a break. I will post one when they decide to drop by to say visit ^^.**


	16. Chapter 16 Recreant

**Recreant**

**Alright! So my mojo and inspiration have decided to pay a visit and i'm finally able to scourge up another chapter for you! *wipes sweat from forehead* I'm really excited for the post-Dressrosa! I really can't wait to move on from the fight scenes - they're incredibly exhausting to write especially when you're pulling non-existent scenes from your head and putting them in words while trying to make them make sense. *wipes more sweat from forehead* I've gotten so excited for our ZoNa interaction that I've been writing scenes for them to be later put in place as the story progresses! **

**Let's cross our fingers and hope that my mojo decides to stay for a bit. *mumbles a prayer***

**Death-By-Sanity**: **YASSSS! Our perverted chef kicks amazing ASS! i'm glad to have a fellow writer who understands and shares my pain! Thank you!**

**bookworm0313: Repeat after me: BART-TO-LO-MEO got it? Good. ^^ hahaha you're not the only one who constantly forgets his name! I'm forever mixing our fanboy's name up with Bartholomew Kuma. Thank you! Pulling fights from my non-existent imagination is trying as ever but i'm glad i did a good enough job that you liked it! XD**

**Credits to Hanzatsu-Hime for concept and G(oda)-sensei for characters and background!**

**I present you chapter 16!**

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A long nose bobbed up and down, frantic pants filled the air as the sniper spied a ledge jutting out from what seems to be remnants of a collapsed hotel and made a desperate attempt to grab on. His dirt encrusted fingers found purchase onto a brick edge and he scrambled on top in time to avoid a bone-jarring explosion that went off at his feet.

God-Ussop…who, at the moment, when he wasn't acting so godly and badass, was doing what he was famously well-known for; running away.

"Ack!" the sniper let out a yelp as the round ends of his boots lit on fire and he had to climb higher to allow his boots to stomp on the previous ledge.

"Ready or not! Here we come!" two high pitched giggles that made the hair on Ussop's neck rise as the terrified sniper let out a petrified whimper of, "mommy save me" as he continued to bravely push on his trembling limbs,

"Oh pee, pee man! Where arrreeee youuuu!" Ussop fought back another little whimper; it wasn't his fault! He didn't have any other choice but to relieve himself on the side when there weren't any urinal stalls hanging around. It was only when he realized that he had 'splashed' a bit onto a wandering leg when he realized, to his horror that he didn't just pee on any poor citizen. The sniper had managed to land himself right smack in the middle of his targets; the twins of the Donquixote Guardia, Arc _and_ Cross.

Turns out that it wasn't just one person Ussop had to fight, two siblings who matched each other in nearly every physical and mental aspect as they skipped hand in hand down the road till the pair stopped just below his feet. Two matching pairs of bright blue orbs blinked innocently up at him. The one on the left stepped forward,

"Pway wit us mista!" a toothy grin sent the sniper pushing his body up higher,

"S-s-s-s-s-s-st-ay a-away f-f-from m-m-m-meeeee!" he frantically jabbed his rod at the children below and his eyes nearly popped out when they too began to climb, "nooooooooo!" The sharpshooter was now forced to multitask between clumsily scrabbling at the ledges with all four of his limbs and poking his rod at the twins as he skittered ahead.

**"****DUCK!**" What? Ussop swerved his head to look down only to see a horror he would take to his grave. Gone were the mischievous and secretive little smiles the twins had previously given and in its place, a jaw-ripping, gum-showing, fang-gleaming and bone-cracking grin that seem to take up the duo's entire face stared back up at him. Two pairs of the smallest eyes the sniper had ever seen glared up at him as their cavern mouths gaped open and closed,

**"****DUCK!"** their toddler hands, for a second, shrank to minute sizes only to suddenly swell up like a gorged balloon and bulge outward, blue and red veins stemmed from arm, elbow, wrist and fingers with foot long nails stretched up to meet him.

**"****GOOSE!"** With a gleeful screech, they were upon him, leaping in the air, jaws yawning open, the nauseating sound of bones tearing from socket raked Ussop's ears as he let out a high-pitched scream, his desperate scrabbling renewed with frantic vigor as he, with air pouring out of his burning lungs, managed to pull himself to the top. Sharp pain lanced up his calf and he looked down to see a set of canines stuck on his leg, wickedly jagged teeth glanced back at him as the first twin shot him a maniacal grin before the smooth ivory sunk deeper, parting his flesh, splitting tendons, digging past muscle and scraping bone.

An ear-piercing, pain-filled scream tore the air as the sniper howled and with a shriek, lashed out with his other foot kicking the monstrosity on its little nose as he scrambled back. The human/creature let out an angry squeal and Ussop's fumbling hands went straight for his beloved pouch.

**"****KAYAKU BOSHI!"** the pellet exploded, shrouding him from sight as he spun around and on hands and knees, scuttled further ahead. He was – not that he'd admit – one of the more easily frightened members of the Strawhat seeing that he'd once arm himself from head to toe with garlic and crosses and stakes when he encountered Brook. Lying had always been one of his first and last lines of defense and he still to this day, utilized it shamelessly. Now, when faced with adversaries who would be more than happy to take a chomp off his body, the sniper found himself firing pellet after pellet of his pop greens at his opponent only to see them merrily swallow them as if he were shooting candy.

**"****YOU'RE IT MR. PEE PEE MAN!"** a gruesome mouth out of nowhere, sprang out from the thick of the smoke Ussop threw himself back barely avoiding a mass of teeth to the head. "W-w-w-w-wait!" at his yell, the twins skidded to a stop, the dust cleared to show them standing side by side, their once four foot human bodies enlarged to a grotesque seven four with the body of what could be an crocodile, hunched and armored legs of a pangolin, thick tail of an anaconda, slender neck of five flamingos put together and the head of what seems to be a mixture human eyes and nose combined with a Megamouth shark.

The poor sniper was on the brink of a meltdown; he really, _really _wanted to haul his cowardly ass back to the ship to hide, he was too young to die! As if on cue, his mind was already mapping out a plan to get him to safety, whispering the best routes and the best angles out of sticky situations as this. But the thought of his mental promise to his navigator shoved a bit more of his rapidly fading backbone back to him as Ussop straightened up, ignoring the screaming pain from his leg.

Desperate times call for desperate measures.

"Y-y-y-you wanna p-play a g-g-g-g-game?" when the look of pure excitement shone in the twin's eyes, the sniper gave himself a shaky mental pat on the back; so far, so good.

"W-why don't we play a game of hide-and-seek?" when he saw the way they were practically wiggling in childish eagerness, he pushed ahead, "I-I'll hide and you two will try to find me." They let out such a high squeal of happiness he had to slap his hands over his ears,

"And if we win mista?!" the sniper tugged on his bottom lip a moment before he brightened, "I-if you win, I'll let you guys be my servants!" at the twin frowns, he worried his lip once more,

"then if you win-" "We get to play with you!" the malevolent smiles on their faces had him stumbling back,

"P-play with m-me?" he chuckled nervously, dread curling up in his stomach and he watched in rapt horror as the look of bliss crossed their faces,

"Yas! I want to see if Mista Pee Pee's nose tastes like a sausage!" Arc was busy licking his lips and nodding in agreement,

"I wanna play with Mista Pee Pee's tummy! Mista Batey showed us dat longy and stringy…" Cross's warped brows twisted as he tried to find the right word,

"Intestine?" Arc supplied and Cross nodded vigorously,

"Yeah! Inwestine!" he bounced on his feet, "I had fun pwaying wit it!"

"I want Mista Pee Pee's toes!"

"I want his eyeballs and fingers!"

"I want-" Throughout the "I wants," the sniper's skin was gradually turning in a sickly insipid color as he staggered further back; anymore and he was going to hurl. At the movement, their heads turned, their long tongues unrolled from their mouths and hung out,

"Can we start?" Arc's scaly shoulders shook as he hopped in place. Saliva dripped between his fangs and pooled on the ground making Ussop shudder,

"O-o-o-o-o-of c-c-course! W-w-why don't you c-c-count to one t-thousand first o-o-o-okay?" for a beat, Arc's wide smile turned down and he tilted his head to the side, puzzled,

"I thought you were supposed to count to ten." Ussop let out a strangled laugh and gave what he hoped to be a smile,

"Ahahaha, the r-r-real r-r-rules are a-actually u-u-up to a th-th-thousand." unruffled by his stuttering, they gave a little chorus of "Okay!" before turning around and hunching over,

**"****ONE!"** he was gone before the countdown even began, hobbling as best as he could with his injured leg. His Kabuto became his crutch as the sharpshooter stumbled over the roof and without another thought, threw himself off. Tears flew past his eyes and he gritted his teeth and rolled to his knees to hear the number **"TWENTY!"** echo in the night.

He was _beyond _exhausted; what time was it? Three? Four? His body was now running on nothing but pure fear and adrenaline. Sooner or later, fatigue would find him, but for now, he had to find his nakama for help. A pained groan left his mouth as Ussop continued to move on, doing his best to ignore the throbbing of his calf and his stomach shriveling up inside.

So he continued, faltering when the pain became too much. Sweat coated his face. By the time he arrived at what he hoped to be a good hiding spot, he was shaking from both tiredness and pain and gnawing hunger. Crouching inside a collapsed building, the sniper was already fumbling for his pouch, pulling out the necessary pop greens he would require to set a trap. The sound of thundering hooves nearby nearly made him drop his pouch when he saw a familiar furry creature clip-clop down his direction.

Tears pouring out his eyes, the sniper hurriedly scrambled out of his hiding place and practically threw himself onto the dark figure,

"Chopper! Thank god you're here!"

"Ussop!" a relieved, answering cry made the tears flow out even harder as the sniper buried his head in his best friend's warm fur, hugging tightly onto the reindeer. "You're leg! What happened?"

"I met the twins." He was shuddering as he gave the doctor a hasty recount of his meeting, watching as the poor reindeer became equally spooked with words of "wow!" and "really!" until he finally came to the conclusion, "we're going to die!" Ussop nodded in agreement, the tip of his nose trembling,

"We're going to die!" the cowardly duo embraced each other tightly.

**"****FOUND YOUUUU!"** the joyful giggling sent the Strawhats leaping in the air shrieking as Ussop yanked frantically on Chopper's arm despite the look of utter horror on his nakama's face,

**"****RUN!"** he screamed as the reindeer gave a loud yelp and immediately morphed, his head ducked down, horns scooping up the sniper before sprinting off. The ground shook beneath them, rocks crumbling around them as the twins' excited screeches resonated around them,

**"****I THOUGHT YOU TWO WERE SUPPOSE TO COUNT TO A THOUSAND!"** Ussop shrieked,

**"****WE GOT BORRREEED!"** came the answering laughter and Chopper renewed his pace, his hooves flying over the shaking ground, nimbly dodging falling articles as he leaped over a wall and scaled up a structure. When he finally skidded to stop, the poor doctor was trembling from the tips of his horns to the bottom of his polished hooves,

"W-w-w-w-w-w-what a-a-a-are th-they?!" he gasped as Ussop tumbled off his partner and collapsed to the ground,

"I-I don't know!" he panted, "some kind of devil-fruit user maybe?" Another thud made them jump and they turned around in time to see two gaping maws lunging at them,

**"PLAY TIME!"** inborn instinct had the cowardly duo splitting in time to avoid the sharp scrape of teeth and Ussop twisted around, his arms pulled back, shooting. Flames exploded, illuminating the rapidly fading night, sending enraged shrieks to the sky as Arc and Cross staggered back, their bulbous heads shaking as they fixed furious eyes at the Strawhats, spittles flying from their mouths,

**"YOU BIG FAT MEANIES!"** they screamed and with another cry, bowled toward them, claws out,

**"HEAVY POINT!"** a large fist smashed into the monstrosity's cheek, sending them crashing to the side,

**"ARM POINT!"** the doctor was in the air, his transformation rippling along his fur as the muscles climbed from the hooves of his legs to bunch up his arms, his dark brush of fur ruffling in the breeze as Chopper angled his body downward, hooves pressed together,

**"KOKUTEI ROZEO MICHIERI!"** with a strength that could easily crush a boulder, his hooves setup a stampeded rhythm of force, crashing his diamond hard hooves against his plated enemy's scales. An infuriated screech rented the air as one of the twin bowled out of the choking dust, his left side completely battered and blackened. With a speed that was shocking considering his size, he crouched for a split second before his large body soared into the air, his arms spread out as wide as possible before with a wild squeal, lashed his arms together sending a crisscross of slashes spiraling straight at the duo.

**"GUARD POINT!"** without a second thought, Chopper threw himself in front of Ussop, his small, furry body now fully bloated and enlarged as he bounced forward, sacrificing his body beneath the barrage of slashes.

"Oi Chopper! Stop- **GAHH!**!" the sniper let out a yell when he felt something sharp sink into his uninjured leg, this time, scoring directly for his thigh as the sharpshooter looked down to see another pair of fangs rip fire into his body . Pain exploded on his lower torso and the sniper barely had the energy to lash out with his Kabuto before his body crumbled to the ground. When the Guardia withdrew to nurse his wound, Ussop was left in excruciating pain. The wound the creature had created left at gaping hole an inch wide in diameter, Blood poured out profusely in streaming waves as the sniper's knees hit the ground, his expression pulled back, taunt as he struggled to hold back a scream of pain.

"Ussop!" Chopper reverted into his original form as he rushed toward his companion and the man held up a shaking hand,

"I-I'm fine." He croaked and curled both hands over his Kabuto, using it as a crutch as he pushed himself back to his feet. He was going to defeat them, his promise to Nami and avenge her was the only thing keeping him conscious as the sharpshooter, with violently trembling arms, stretched back his arms, his final, ultimate attack ready to fire.

"Stand back Chopper," he said hoarsely and the doctor quickly scuttled back, his dark eyes shining in anticipation.

"We're going to play with your tummies and eat your fingers and step on your face!" twin screeches of fury bunched together, their maws gaping open, fangs beginning to gleam as the night began to shy away from the coming light. With both hands firmly gripping his precious Kabuto, Ussop, with all his strength, braced his body against his weapon, his arms visibly straining from the effort as he with a loud shout, let go,

**"MIDORI BOSHI IMPACT WOLF!"** there was a distinctly shivering howl of triumph when the small pop greens sprouted in the air and took the form a lunging wolf with his head stretched forward, his bulbous nose pointing directly at the charging twins as it with a vicious roar went straight in a head-on collision. There was a vibrating explosion as the tip of the wolf's nose ignited, setting of a powerful shockwave, directly striking its opponents with deadly accuracy. Sky-high screams echoed across the dead city as the twins stumbled back, twisting, shuddering and twitching till they lay on the dirt caked ground, a large, lifeless paroxysm.

**"S-SUGOI~!"** stars of admiration shone in the doctor's eyes and Ussop felt a monumental rush of pride fill his body; he was pretty darn amazing wasn't he? With the last bit of strength he had left in his battered body, the sniper stuck his right hand in the air, his bandaged finger pointing up to the sky just as the first rays of the morning sun graced over his trembling form,

_"On the Sniper Island I was born._

_A hundred shots, a hundred hits._ _Lu lu lala lu._

_Even a mouse's eyes lock on!_

_Even your Heart lock on!_

_The man who came from the Sniper Island._

_Lu lu lu lulu lala._

_Run Away!_

_Sogegege Soge Soge_

_Sogeking!" _as the last words of the song left his mouth, the sharpshooter felt his body give way and he buckled down in a graceless heap.

_**Long live God Ussop!  
**_

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**I honestly enjoy writing about the cowardly duo! It's amazing how much they've grown over the years!  
Thank you for reading!  
Comments and Critiques are welcomed!  
"Long live God Ussop!"  
~ Fictionpadfoot**


	17. Chapter 17 Remember

**Remember**

**Credits to Hanzatsu-Hima for concept and G(oda) for characters and background. I own nothing but Donquixote Guardia.**

**This chapter turned out to be ALOT longer than i expected to write. I had in mind to write something less than 4k words but lookie here, a MUCH longer chapter of...well...more unpleasent-ness for you guys. (TT^TT)**

**Guest: Who cheats in Hide and Seek? Why, that would be the twins of course! hahaha Let me tell you a secret, it wasn't because the twins were bored - well that was part of it - but they don't know how to count beyond the number twenty-seven ^^. How they were involved with Nami? Well, since i can see that you've read this far and got past Chapter 2, you'll have to read this chapter to find out! Thank you for reviewing!**

**bookworm0313: I think i just tossed some animals in the mix and then i saw some pictures of pangolins (is it weird i find them adorable?) and saw this awesome picture of this HUGE shark with an equally HUGE mouth and was like: I like it! I'm taking it! I was also partially inspired by this manga called 'Okitenemuru' (pretty disgusting, not recommended for the stomach) where there was this parasite that turned people's head into animals and turned them into cannibals. **

**PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU GO ANY FURTHER: I think it would be a safe idea to put another ****TRIGGER WARNING** **because** **of the memories that will take place in this chapter. Allow me to explain why; in this chapter, we're meeting the final two members of the Donquixote Guardia Steven Spillburn and Daven Collins. This will be from Steven's point of view and this is where i take Nami's assault and bring to the Donquixote member's perspective. That means i will be recounting the events of Nami's attack. It WILL NOT be as detailed as the first recount but i believe it still will have some effect to sensitive readers. To readers who are touchy with this subject, I highly suggest you read ONLY up to the end of LAW'S stand point and go no further. **

**Thank you for understanding and if you want to completely skip this chapter, leave your comments in the review and i will summarize the events in here in the next chapter.**

**Remember guys, in the midst of despair and hopelessness, there's always light at the end of the tunnel.**

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Law saw the damage done to the Strawhat's navigator and felt a slight pant of sympathy well up in his gut. This wasn't the first time he witnessed the results of rape and this most likely wasn't going to be the last.

He wasn't well acquainted with the crew's guide nor did he bother to sit down and make an effort to get to know her better. But he respected her talents and acknowledged her skill to the point of grudging admiration.

Was he angry? Of course he was. The surgeon regarded the navigator as someone who brought important and valuable assets to the crew. Hurting her would not only burden the members, but it would also provoke them to vengeance; and that is where Law agreed with them; retribution.

The party had a single-minded goal; take down the perpetrator and bring the current king down.

The day of the navigator's assault was a day full of new perspectives and outlooks.

He'd never seen the Strawhat crew so solemn nor had he seen their captain so furious.

The Heart Captain had felt the entire ship tremble beneath the black wave of rage that nearly flattened the occupants including himself. The silent yet destructive force behind the Strawhat captain's words had Law giving Luffy a healthy respect and looking at him in a completely different telescope.

The captain cared for his crew, that much was blatantly obvious, the emotions rolling off the man's shoulders had Law tucking his chin down to hide his expression; deference.

The surgeon had always thought that the doodle-dee doodle-dum captain was someone who, although harbored an immense power, constantly relied on his crew to pull him to the right direction. He never saw the man to be someone to be taken seriously unless it was in the thick of the battle. Law respected the captain for his unwavering loyalty and his overwhelming strength, his view on the Strawhat's opinions and the results of trying to have an intelligent conversation with him? Not so much.

Seeing the idiotic captain with such a serious expression on that day however, had thrown the surgeon off kilter. Although the hunger for reprisal fueled the man's words and actions, the way he took command and the way he presented himself when his crewmates acted to his orders was almost…admirable. The ship had worked like a well-oiled machine, each having their respective jobs and directions in which they performed without fail.

On that day, he had the opportunity to watch the Strawhat Captain step up and fill his role as leader. He became the spectator who watched as Luffy and his crew moved in symphony, not a single member missed a beat as they all soundlessly split and headed off under their commander's orders had him raising a brow.

He was pretty darn impressed.

Now, as Law lay on the ground, his body thrumming with pain, the agony was mostly centered on his missing limb that had been sawed off, he'd come to the conclusion that the Strawhat deserved more than a simple thank you. The clueless captain was naïve and loyal to a fault, yet he had earned the Heart Captain's grudging respect and to some extent, wonder.

_I'm prepared to die with him_, Law blinked as the thought took root and he let out a hoarse chuckle; the idiot was truly a miracle man, he had the ability to heal broken countries and draw people to him like moths to flame. The throbbing increased and the surgeon coughed again as he allowed his eyes to trail up and watch the ever rising smoke billow in the night; this was a man he could call his friend, someone who forged his own path and despite the circumstances, rise out of the battle dominant and victorious.

_I'm prepared to win. _Hope bloomed in his blood-stained chest and Law allowed a brief flicker of a smile to flit over his mouth,

"You better f*ck him up good for me Strawhat-ya."

* * *

Sharp clangs of blade against blade rang in the air, the memorable shouts and jubilating calls of **"YOHOHOHOHO!"** ringing out in challenge. Even in the midst of the early morning, you could see our musician still going strong with his opponents. It was exceptionally remarkable seeing how Brook was doing a pretty spectacular job holding his ground against two of Donquixote Guardia's Brain and Brawn: Daven Collins and Steven Spillburn. The two stood at a good five eight, each with their own individualities and while they weren't brothers in blood, their similar backgrounds- parents who left them to their own devices and never played much of a parental role throughout their childhood- strengthened their bond.

Both Steven and Daven had met each other in a hospital when Daven – age 3- was diagnosed at with 40 percent more muscle than the average child and Steven – age 4- was brought in for surgery for a bone marrow transplant. It was then when a month's stay in the hospital turned out to be a weekly visit from Daven to Steven's bedside for the next decade.

At the tender age of 18 months, Daven was able to walk upright on two feet and by the early stages of 3, he was able to run and climb up and down stairs. Now to a parent, they may think that their child was simply physically gifted, but when they saw their child pick up a bowling ball and wave it around like it was nothing, it was then that they discovered that something wasn't quite right with Daven. He was diagnosed with a disorder called _Myostatin-related muscle Hypertrophy _which, in a nut-shell, blocks a certain protein in charge of muscle growth. Because of this, Daven possesses nearly fully developed skeletal muscle in his shoulders, biceps and deltoids and along his abdomen and thighs. This genetic boost of strength eventually led to complaints from the daycare center about Daven 'misusing' his strength to bully others.

"He'd push the other children down if they didn't listen to him." They'd complain.

It was when Daven turned 12 when he finally snapped; his childhood misunderstanding had grown into a never ending blur of name-calling.

"Watch out for the weird Hulk." The kids would jeer and give him the cold shoulder. By that age, the kid was already packing more muscle than a highschooler, his disorder had unfortunately stunted his growth with the physicians predicting that he'd grow no taller than 5"6" at most. Daven Collins had become the center of entertainment and was the 'circus freak' of his school.

When the middle school hotshot decided to pull his britches higher and gang up on Daven to test how much it took to "Break the Hulk" by grabbing a pair of scissors and with his friends, cut up his backpack and the contents inside it, Collins lost his temper.

The hospital that Steven was held in had gotten a call that some boys from a middle school were on their way to the hospital. When the hospital doors opened, in wheeled six boys wrapped in a full body cast and stuck to IV drips; Daven had thrown each and every one of them against the walls of the handball court, slamming them so hard he shattered their bones and even rendered one of them permanently paralyzed.

This of course, led to his expulsion from the junior school and from then on, Daven's weekly visits to Steven's hospital room became _nightly _visits. He'd sneak out at soon as the clock struck eleven pm, make his way toward the hospital and be back in his room at four in the morning. With his size and his rapidly growing height, it allowed him the boost to climb up to the third floor where Steven kept his window open for him to scamper in.

He'd tell Steven about his days, complain about his life but never once did he grumble about his physique.

Steven, at an incredibly young age was suddenly carted into the hospital looking for a bone marrow donor and had been waiting for 13 years for someone who would be willing to donate. Because of his rare condition that required a certain type of marrow, it was highly unlikely that he'd get the opportunity. What was interesting was the strength of his perseverance; he was fighting a steadily losing battle with leukemia and to most, it was obvious that his chances of survival was slim.

So he waited.

And waited.

And soon…he began to despair.

When Daven popped into his window, he became not only the little ray of sunshine, but the telescope in which Steven was able to live his life through. With Daven's help, the duo forged an unbreakable bond that bolstered Spillburn's will to live. It wasn't till four years later when they found a suitable donor for Steven.

In total, Steven Spillburn fought a long and grueling 17 year battle with his disease. Steven's high-paying, up to the sky in status and reputation parents, other than paying for his medical bills and ensuring that he was taken care of during his stay at the hospital, didn't have much of an interaction with him besides the weekly reports and the monthly visits.

Donquixote Guardia had become as close as it could get to a home and Doflamingo, their _father figurehead _might as well be their biological parent for all it matters.

At the age of 27 and 28, Daven and Steven became known as Donquixote Guardia's famous _Brain and Brawn _with Steven's almost computer-like mind that rivaled Pental's and Daven's huge, powerful bulk that was second to none.

Alone, they did a fair job at holding their own. Together, they were unmatched in every battle.

So it was a slap to the face when they realized that this bone white, skinny as heck and annoying as hell, _skeleton _was keeping up with their blows and to make matters worse, he was _laughing _and doing these silly little Yohohoho's while he was at it.

Steven Collins was gradually losing ground and he gritted his teeth, his double-bladed katana a deadly whirlwind as he deftly blocked the musician's attacks; he had to admit that the skeleton was an amazing and well versed swordsman the way he fenced with his weapon with a permanent grin on his face. As Spillburn ducked to avoid a jab to his eye, a memory flashed in front of him and he grimaced, his arm rising in time to block another blow:

_He remembered flashes of fiery hair that now flickered in front of his eyes._

_He remembered bits and pieces of him grabbing onto a slim wrist and forcing the slender fingers over his incessantly throbbing cock that was busy complaining like a whiny b*tch. _

_He saw Daven beside him, remembered the feel of his partner's muscular body rubbing beside his, sweat coating his upper torso as Collins fisted the girl's brilliant hair back to suck face with her…_

Steven blinked and frowned when he reverted back to the present; who was the girl? His bright, blue eyes flicked over to Daven and seeing the way the large man stumbled a bit on his two-step pattern, knew that the man was experiencing the same thing.

"Hanauta Sancho: Yahazu Giri!" lighting fast cuts and jabs that nearly severed his head from his torso lashed out at him and Steven let out an abrupt curse before he quickened his pace, blocking nearly each and every strike with deadly accuracy.

"Magnificent Steven-san!" the skeleton cried as Steven let a small smirk tug from his lips and he danced over to Daven,

"Did you see what I saw?" he murmured, green-dyed hair flew past the Hulk's face and he casted a look at Steven, a hint of a smile brightening up his sullen expression,

"Yea." He grunted and a full blown grin encased his lips, "she was pretty f*cking hot." Steven rolled his eyes and shook his head; although the deep-seated knowledge of what they did was completely and morally wrong, he wasn't about to repent, he wasn't even feeling slightly remorseful of his actions. Their insane amount of testosterone build-up had them flaring their nose every time the sweet scent of female wafted past their noses. The Red Haze was becoming harder and more difficult to suppress; Steven wasn't even going to go into the things he and Daven were forced to turn to for relief.

_~ Flashback to Assault ~_

Fayler had put his foot down one day in the breakfast hall, shucked his cloak over his shoulder and stormed out of the room growling that he was going to go grab a stiff drink.

They all knew that alcohol was the last thing he had in mind.

It was early in the morning, so early that only a few shops were open and the alleys of Dressrosa were near dead quiet. Serg had reluctantly allowed them to go out on a _patrol _with the exception of Ambrose, who was on his way back from his mission and Arc and Cross who chose to stay behind because they wanted to _play _with one of Bate's recently dissected victims. Steven let out a sigh; Arc and Cross, 7 year olds stuck in a grotesque monster's body, they made quite a pair.

The Donquixote Guardia had rounded a corner in time to see a woman with the hair of a flaming sun arguing profusely with the shopkeeper over a few hundred sets of clothing. The poor man was hinging between blowing steam and begging the woman to leave his shop at the ridiculously high discount she was asking for.

"F*ck me." Aiden muttered and Steven had to agree; long blazing orange red locks reaching down to the edges of her buttocks, the flimsy top she had on was doing a poor job covering melon-size breasts he longed to bury himself in and a pert ass that made a few of them falter in their steps,

"The minute she leaves, I'm going to take that sweet ass." Faylar was rubbing his hands together, his dark eyes gleaming in anticipation. They all turned eager eyes to a rigid Serg who was shifting uncomfortably on his spot; the man was practically uptight in every aspect and it was only when he was in the throes of battle when he was truly happy.

There was a hint of a gleam in their commander's eye as he inspected the woman who was now strolling in their direction, empty handed. Catching the small nod of approval, the Donquixote made their move. Steven immediately shuffled back along with the others, pushing himself back till he and the rest faded away behind a low bridge as they watched her pass by, her honey-suckle perfume sent sparks of pleasure ratcheting down his spine as he watched in rapt hunger as she wandered deeper into Dressrosa.

It was only when the woman finally ventured further away from the thick of the stores when Faylar, who had been impatiently snarling made his move.

"F*ck it, I can't take it anymore," he hissed and lunged. He was behind her in four bounds, his large hands immediately wrapped around the woman's slim waist, pushing her non-too gently to the ground. Her shout of anger was quickly swallowed by a loud bellow from Bates when she brought her weird stick up and nailed him straight in his groin.

"You b*tch!" he howled and she shouted something obscene before she took off only to be cornered by Aiden who had been slowly advancing, his eyes shining in expectation as he backed her to the middle,

"Don't be scared, I'm not going to bite…hard." He sent her a wolfish grin which she retaliated with bared teeth and a snarl of contempt. In a split second, Mason was behind her, his fingers a vice-grip around her toned arms and she flipped backwards, her mile long legs shot up to slam over his head and with a curse, he released her,

"I like her, she bites," Aiden grinned and Steven smirked in return before he made his move, ducking past her weird stick and knocking her back to the ground. His finger snagged the strap of her top and with a single wrench, yanked it off.

"Thirty points." A series of low whistles and groans sounded as Spillburn dangled the scrap of fabric over his finger. The women let out a screech, her arm immediately shot up to cover her exposed breasts, the other, a white knuckled grip on her weapon. Faylar stalked up behind her, a dangerous rumble in his chest as he grabbed her by the hips and lifted her into the air and rammed two fingers into her diaphragm.

There was a strangled gasp and the women collapsed to the ground in a coughing fit.

"Be gentle with her." Antonio growled and he walked up to her, a bit of the Red Haze receding as he bent to inspect her; Antonio Bastilla, when he wasn't under the influence of the Haze, was one of the most temperate Steven had the honor of knowing. Not once did he see Bastilla _ever_ raise a hand against a woman or child. There was the crack of lighting and the entire Guardia leaped back in shock when a thick bolt of lightning shot straight down from the heavens and struck the large man. His earth-shattering bellow of pain was loud enough to wake the dead as the man staggered back breathing heavily, his eyes fully glazing over,

"Shit." Steven muttered when the mountain-size man released a roar and launched himself toward her only to be thrown back by an equally livid Faylar as the two lunged at each other, their exchanged blows shaking the ground; the Red Haze stripped everything but the male's most elemental instincts, and that was to feed and f*ck.

Crimson red floated over Steven's pupils and he gave a violent shake of his head, need seizing him, shaking him to the point where he was practically salivating as he snuck behind her, wound his fist around her beautiful hair and buried his nose into the crook of her neck, his blunt teeth scraping the silky skin. He ignored the furious jab to his gut, his loud moan resounding in the air when her frantic hands accidentally brushed back between his legs and she jerked and swore.

**"SIR!"** the sound of a group of Doflamingo's foot soldiers had every man freezing on the spot.

Oh…shit; if Doflamingo caught them ready to do the deed, he'd...Steven inwardly cringed; the amount of inflicted torture was too painful to even think about.

The small group, no more than ten was visibly shaking in their boots as the leader shakily cleared his throat,

"Is there a probl-" no sooner he had spoken when a bubble with a…cloud? Floated past Steven's nose and he tilted his head back, a look of surprise and disbelief on his face. His eyes followed the bubble no bigger than the palm of his head up and he bent his neck back to see a circle of small bubble encased clouds drifting up to an angry looking smoky, black cloud bristling with small zaps of lightening.

**"EVERYONE TAKE COV-"** Pental's alarmed shout was lost as an even louder command blared above his and everyone's eyes darted to the fiery haired woman. She had managed to free her arms and had her staff whirling inches above Steven's head, her expression a vision of wrath as she leveled a blistering glare at her enemies,

**"THUNDERBOLT TEMPO!"** Shock ran a live wire in Steven's body as he watched each and every one of the guards and the elites let out a multitude of curses and shouts as a blast of light illuminated the entire area. The palace guards, to Steven's astonishment, crumbled to the ground in dead faint, their clothes blackened and the rest of the elites, still letting of strings of profanities in a variety of languages, got to their feet shaking their limbs.

A thick pair of hands grabbed the woman by the shoulders and yanked her out of Steven's grip and he looked up to see Serg's furious eyes glowering at her. To her credit – or her stupidity whichever- she stood her ground, her chin tilted arrogantly up, trimmed brows slanted down, jaw clenched as she glared right back.

He was pretty sure that her defiant look was going into everyone's spank bank.

Before Spillburn could even move a muscle, Daven – the sneaky bastard – had slipped in front of him, his thumbs hooked over the bands of her skirt and with surprisingly deft fingers, he snapped them off and danced back, a mischievous grin on his face,

"Twenty points!" he chuckled and waved the ripped skirt around in the air. Just like that, the atmosphere lightened and the rest of the Guardia let out a delighted whoop and moved toward her.

"That will you cost two million berries you bastards," the women finally found her voice and was baring her teeth, "you ripped my favorite top and bottom which I bought for two hundred and thirty belis NOT including tax and messed up my hair that I just got cut for a hundred and ten belis," her nose turned upward, "add that up with my one hundred and ten percent interest and that would cost you more than what your pathetic lives are worth."

That wiped the smug expression off the commander's face. With a soft growl, he tangled his fingers into her thick locks and gave her hair a harsh jerk as he tipped her chin up, her pouty lips parted and a small cry left her bee-stung lips,

"What do you mean _**we **__owe you _b*tch?" Rafael Serg didn't do too well under others orders, sure he'll lower his head when the time was appropriate but the man would never lower his body to his knees, his pride would never allow it. "Listen up and listen well, we own you now," the need to dominate was evident on his face as he slid his hand around to collar over her throat, his other lowered to his pants, the distinct clink of a belt unsnapped indecently loud.

"I'm next." Faylar smirke and Lore let out a hiss,

"Not this time Bates," the man's long charcoal grey colored hair tied back in a high tail swung to and fro as the European shouldered his way to the forefront, his sapphire orbs fixated hungrily onto the pert breasts she was futilely trying to cover despite Serg exerting enough force to snap a woman her size in two. "You need to step back and give us a chance to take the edge off our bollocks." He winced and reached down to adjust his pants, "I feel like my c*ck is about to snap off." Faylar whirled onto his fellow elite, his lips pulled back in a threatening snarl,

"Want me to snap it off for you?" he snapped and the 28 year old sniper's jaws tightened,

"Enough." The commander's menacing growl efficiently silenced the group as he turned back to the woman only to hear a battle cry break the silence as two figures leaped down from a nearby building and headed for them. One was sporting a red striped aviator hat and a five prong-shaped stick bent inwards strapped over his back. The other was a reindeer with a poufy blue and red hat plopped between his antlers and a backpack strapped over his back. Both wore twin expressions of thunderous rage as the reindeer morphed into a large creature standing on two legs, his large fists swinging in the air. Faylar and Antonio both wore matching grins as they, with a roar of challenge, lumbered forward; their bodies seem to grow in size as the two elite members launched themselves at the shaggy brute, weapons unleashed.

**"Midori Boshi Take Jave-rin!" **Steven let out a hoarse curse when the back of his coat caught the tip of an emerging bamboo stick that sent him shoot up sky high. The yells and startled expletives echoed down the alley as members of Guardia were thrown in the air.

A flicker of annoyance on his face, Spillburn reached behind to unhook his coat from the tip, his body dropping soundlessly onto the ground and he turned to see Antonio slam his fist onto the creature's cheek and Faylar wrench the reindeer's head down to the ground by the antlers, the overwhelming power forced had the animal on its knees as Pentel and Lore slam the butt of their guns over its head.

**"DROP YOUR WEAPONS OR I'LL F*CKEN SHOOT HER!" **Serg's voice was infuriatingly calm and everyone turned to see that the commander had his beloved gun pushed against the woman's head. Aiden frowned worriedly,

"H-hey commander, you're not gonna let us f*ck her?" the whine in his voice made Steven reach over and slap the back of the lad's head,

"Shut-up." He hissed and the young man spun around, his bottom lip sticking out,

"That hurt!" he griped and Steven rolled his eyes,

"Good."

By the time the duo surrendered their weapons; Levi and Lore were already slapping a pair of seastone cuffs over their wrists, their legs then lashed out to kick both of the pair's legs knocking them on their knees.

Red tinged the commander's irises and despite his near perfect control, even Serg could not oppose the Red Haze. In the commander's case, the Haze brought out his more dominant and sadistic personality as he rubbed his gun against the woman's skin,

"I enjoy a little voyeurism so I won't mind if your little friends want to watch." The woman pleaded for her companion's release and the commander seem to give her a once over and Steven noted the glint of admiration the powerful man let slip. Just then, the air stifled and he saw the bloody crimson color surge forward and blanket over his eyes. At that moment, Spillburn felt his own eyes lids lower as blackness drifted over him, the pain overwhelming and he let himself fall into the bliss of mind-numbing silence.

_He blinked awake, his mind sluggishly working in time to feel his c*ck slipping between something so soft, so wet and so tight he knew without a doubt that he was shamelessly moaning and grinding his hips. Faylar's heavy grunts of pleasure along with the sounds of the other elites as his eyes closed once more and his mind slipped deep into darkness…_

_A roar of satisfaction had wrenched him again out of his sleep-induced mind and Steven found himself beneath the woman's bountiful breasts, his hands were gripping her so tightly he knew automatically that he was hurting her as his mouth descended onto her dusky nipples, licking and sucking his way till everything blurred out and all he saw and felt was her pliable body jerking over his... _

_This time, he was in crouching in front of her, his lips nibbling along her jaw and he glanced over to see a pair of dark eyes clouded in tears, the liquid splashing down her cheeks as she stared past him, her expression empty, her bottom lip tucked under her teeth. Something wet landed on the back of his palm and he withdrew to see a drop of blood spattered over his skin; she was biting herself to keep from screaming. _

_He didn't like that._

_He didn't like it at all._

_And yet, he found himself unable to stop._

_Again his lids grew heavy and Steven felt his conscious again, slip beneath murky waters._

_He didn't resurface._

* * *

**(A/N): Wow! I wrote quite a bit this time. Haha i hope it wasn't too graphic this time for you guys. I apologize if it was but i felt that it is necessary to revisit the scene since this entire story will be revolving around it and her gradual recovery. I also like to be able to cover all my bases, make sure they're aren't any plot holes or things that will leave you readers wondering. Like how did Nami end up running into them in the first place? What events took place in the Donquixote Guardia's dwelling that led to this? I take small things like that into consideration.**

**I don't think i'm going to be writing another chapter at this length for a very long time hahaha, it's incredibly tiresome and takes a long time to come up with - although a part of me thinks that another one of these will be come back to bite me again later on.**

**Despite the intense content in this chapter, i sincerely thank you guys for putting up with this dark theme and sticking with me on this journey.**

**It'll get better, of this i promise.**


	18. Chapter 18 Requiem

**Requiem**

**Hello readers! I'm sorry this chapter was so late! School is back in session and i needed to focus on my studies! I also wanted to let One Piece progress on a bit so i could use it and incorporate it into this fanfic! I apologize that i haven't posted in so long!**

**Death-By-Sanity: Haha i had an inkling that it was you but i wasn't sure and i didn't want to mistaken someone else for you ^^ Doffy actually does play a role in Nami's assault though not directly. In fact, the truth is all revealed right in this chapter! Thank you for reviewing!**

**Thank you readers for continuing to supporting this story!**

**P.S. Why didn't anyone tell me that I've been spelling Usopp's name wrong the entire time! TT_TT i just barely realized that.**

* * *

Battered but not broken, bloodied yet still standing. The fallen Tenryuubito's usually sadistically amused temper was gradually rising to a boiling point by the fact that the little f*cker was still sitting on his high horse.

Was he involved in the female Strawhat's assault? Not directly, but the Shichibukai had played a role in it. Aside from the very fact that he banned his elite from any sexual acts, Doflamingo, deep inside the recesses of his twisted mind, engaged in the form of his own sexual gratification.

His strings were everywhere, either on the governors of Dressrosa, on his military, even on his executives.

The Donquixote Guardia was no exception.

When the Shichibukai had caught the gist of his elite's thoughts, a wicked little plan had already formed in the depths of his mind.

Manipulating people, to some extent, could almost be sexual to the Shichibukai. The feeling of dominance and utter control was an orgasmic experience and watching the people unknowingly bend to his will was exhilarating.

Doflamingo was bored, and being bored led to mischief which led to trouble. In this case, the tyrant thought he'd have some fun himself with the feisty minx. He'd been the one who, with Ceaser, created the Red Haze which he then implemented onto his guards and then with his strings, triggered the emotion that sent the men in a lust-filled haze. He then used this to turn his elite onto the few women he took slight interest to, setting them upon the females, watching in sickening pleasure as they tore into the women, rutting into them as the Shichibukai stroked himself into a stupor.

The fiery Strawhat had been a pleasurable experience. She had put up an admirable fight that left the man chuckling as he, with a twitch of his fingers had her on the ground, her stupid companions chained to the ground as he let his men loose upon her.

Now, the little mischief that he created led to this particular trouble that had the Tenryuubito wondering if he'd taken his waywardness a step too far.

Despite the angry little speech the Strawhat was busy spouting out, Doflamingo made sure he still had the infamous shit-eating grin on his face and his eyes - which were now narrowing in hidden anger at concealed behind his blast-resistant sunglasses. Did the fool think that he had every right to upset his throne? That just because he had overthrown the desperado of Alabasta that he and his pathetic snitch of a pirate crew could storm over to his kingdom and play hero?

"Even though you fell from the sky and made your way over here!" his foot lashed out and stomped over his stomach, slamming the Strawhat onto the ground, "who gave you the right to deal judgment over me!" over and over his punished the captain, raining blow after penalizing blow, till the boy's decrepit body was kicked promptly off the edge of the tower,

"Did God give it to you!" his arm drew back, cocking before he punched down onto the fool's face, the force breaking through the thick walls as the entire side of the structure exploded.

"Did your arrogance tell you to?" both fighter's heels latched onto each other, their Emperor's Haki colliding together, oppressing the air, stifling their surroundings, splitting the ground apart.

"You're wide open!" the Shichibukai's knee connected with the Strawhat's cheek, hurling him into the walls, "Was your promise to Law nothing but petty words? When are you finally going to get around to defeating me?" glee shone in the sweat upon his brow and the maniacal grin on his face, "though you may not care what happens to the citizens, they will surely curse you lot with the last of their dying breaths." However, Doflamingo couldn't help but feel a sliver of foreboding slither up his spine and enter the pits of his heart when he saw the battered Strawhat lift his arm up to his mouth, his dark eyes fixed intently onto him. Raw fury emanated off of his body and the Shichibukai tipped his head to the side as steam emitted from the captain's body.

Luffy's mouth opened.

**"Gear."**

The false ruler felt his left foot take an automatic step back.

**"Fourth."** The name sounded so absurd the fallen Tenryuubito threw his head back and laugh,

"What kind of gimmick are you going to pull now?" he sneered as he watched the Strawhat's arm blow up to enormous and ridiculous proportions, the limb from hand to shoulder darkening with haki. The black tendrils continued to stream up his body and down his torso till Doflamingo realized that the captain was completely hardening his entire body. When the boy's bloated torso hovered off the ground, he grinned,

"Gaining weight now aren't you?" it wasn't till the Strawhat finally lifted himself into air and proclaimed his form when the Tenryuubito slapped his hand onto his forehead, guffawing, "I can't believe I thought you had some crazy ace up your sleeve," he chuckled again; the fool thought bouncy could be used as a weapon!

**"GOMU GOMU NO!"** Doflomingo's eyes widened and his jaw clenched when he saw the curled fist sink into the depth of his wrist as the captain leaped at him, his body loomed over his and the king realized that the boy was going for his face. Instinctively, the Shichibukai's arms rammed up to defend his head, forearms hardening and he felt the punch vibrate through his body in shock.

_"__F*ck!" _the blow proved too much for his body to withstand and Doflamingo sensed his legs give way as his body flew back into the air as the punch slammed him straight into the palace's towers. A growl tore from his throat, spats of blood coughing up as the Shichibukai gritted his teeth and sat up, his mind immediately calculating the distance he had been thrown and to his rage, he found his royal ass sitting flat on the cobbled streets.

Astonished whispers from Dressrosa's citizens whipped in the air and the proud king knew he was seconds away from snapping. One of his soldiers scampered past him only to skid to a halt in surprise when he saw his king on the ground,

"Do-Doflamingo! What are you doing here?!" With that inquiry, the man's volatile temper unleashed,

"I'd like to know the same damn thing." He snarled, veins bulged from his temple and throat as the citizens in unison, spun around screaming as they ran; they feared him, and they had every right to. The Tenryuubito was as trigger worthy as a buster call seconds away from going off, and a good amount of that ticking was from the Strawhat's consistent poking and prodding.

If the rubber man hadn't gotten up, the bomb might have not gone off.

Now, when a pair of sandals smashed against his cheek, further marring his skin and sending him once more flying back, the Shichibukai, in danger of losing his power, had more than enough,

"Athlete Thread!" he was behind the rubberman in an instant, the sharp point of his foot lashing out, digging deep into his stomach only to bounce back in shock as the Tenryuubito saw that the fool had not only encased his body Busoshoku, he had also made sure that his body had been able to maintain its rubbery consistency.

Before Doflamingo could even react, a fist zig-zagged through the air, dodging the Shichibukai's lunges as the Strawhat, with a resounding roar, smashed his dark fist into the string user's stunned cheek.

How he f*cking flew, Doflamingo's body shot back, crashing right into the clay walls now crumbled around him.

He was done playing around; his arms hovering in the air, palms flat out, fingers slightly curled, the Shichibukai summoned the hidden supremacy he kept secret and unleashed it. Almost immediately, the buildings around him seem to thin and splice apart, splitting themselves so thin they appear to be _threads _themselves,

"This is the end Strawhat!" his grin so wide it nearly dominated his face, the tyrant directed his final attack onto the captain who had finally ran out of gas.

**"THREA-!"**

***SMASH!***

Out of nowhere, a large and rather _furry _hoof crashed down from the sky, the morning sun gleaming off the polish shine and the String Fruit user had less than a second to tilt his head up in time to catch that sparkle when his entire body was completely obliterated by the blunt of the hoof promptly stomping down on him.

The Shichibukai, with the majority of his lower body saved for his collarbones and neck stared up in shock to see a towering animal loom over him, its shaggy fur swaying in the dust as the creature looked down to see who it happened to step on. It was almost laughable the way the monster's jaw sagged open and its eyes practically bulged from its sockets as it gaped down at Donflomingo,

"Oops."

* * *

Usopp, riding astride on top of Chopper's shoulder was startled by the sudden halting in his companion's steps,

"Oi Chopper, why did you stop all of a sudden?" he leaned forward to see the reindeer's expression was one of utter horror and trepidation. Despite the doctor's enormously large body, he was shaking like a leaf in the wind.

With a hand nearly the size of Sunny itself, the reindeer pointed downwards.

Usopp stretched his neck forward to take a look.

"Kaaaaaa…." His round lips dropped, the whites of his eyes showing, sweat beating down his temples as he began to understand the weight of their situation.

They were standing on _top _of Doflamingo.

Chopper's _foot _was on top of Doflamingo.

The sniper had but only one word that managed to slip past his throat,

"Kappa."

Something dark and sinister gleamed sending the poor doctor propelling back, his legs quickly back-peddling only to trip to the ground as the tyrant rose in the air, his appearance a sickenly dark shadow, the feathers along his back lifting in, enlarging his body to unusual proportions,

"You pitiful fools," came the raspy snarl and both the reindeer and Usopp let out a scream scream when the Tenryuubito spread his palms toward them,

**"****CULVERIN!" **a pair of dark arms shot forward, punching straight into the unsuspecting Shichibukai's back and the duo let out a sob of joy when they saw Luffy, with all of his strength smash the man back to the ground,

"Don't lay a hand on my nakama!" was the dire warning before there was a sudden release of air and vapor streaming out of the Strawhat himself.

"Luffy!" Usopp shouted as he watched as tendrils of smoke poured out of his captain's mouth and every orifice of his body. Chopper swung his large hands out, neatly catching the limp rubberman safely in his palms. Immediately, Usopp slid down the doctor's furry arms and rushed forward, his hands cradling the back of Luffy's neck,

"Luffy! Are you alright?" The Strawhat's skin was sickly pale, dark circles shadowed beneath his eyes as vapor continued to trickle out of his mouth,

"Just…need…some…time," came the gasp followed by a weak cough, his slender body downsized to a trembling form as the captain continued to suck in lungfuls of air.

There was an ear-splitting crack followed by an alarmed shriek from Chopper and the three looked up to see an incredibly bloody and battered but very much alive Doflamingo rising like the dead from the ashes and stand on the ground a few feet away, rage etched on every line on his face,

"I've had it." In a split second, Chopper was up on his feet, rapidly backing away, his crewmates clutched to his chest,

**"STRAWHAT!"** a chorus of yells and boisterous sounded amid the chaos as a gathering of a large group of fighters from the coliseum. The coliseum's announcer Gatz stood at the forefront, his cape billowing behind him as he and the rest sprinted forward till they surrounded Chopper's feet,

**"HOW IS STRAWHAT!"** Usopp looked down in surprise,

**"HE NEEDS TO REST!"** the sniper called out and Gatz raised his arms,

**"HOW LONG!"** Usopp shook his head; Luffy needed to rest, indefinitely, at the rate his nakama was going, he'd burn himself to death. When he opened his mouth to reply, a hand reached up and grabbed his shoulder. The sharpshooter turned his gaze back to his friend who was now glaring at him, the gloom under his eyes a tad lighter,

"10…minutes..." the answer was so weak it had Usopp fighting a wave of angry tears,

"Luffy! You need to-" he faltered when the hand on his shoulder tightened,

"You… trust me." It wasn't a question; rather it was a statement leaving the sniper no room for argument.

After that, Usopp didn't stop to hesitate,

**"10 MINUTES!"** he yelled and Gatz threw him a nod before he turned to face the warriors,

**"MEN! THE STRAWHAT NEEDS 10 MINUTES! UNTIL THEN! WE'LL HOLD DOFLAMINGO OFF! WE SHALL PUT ALL OUR FAITH IN HIM AND LAY OUR LIVES ON THE LINE!"** There was an answering howl from the fighters as they, with a rejuvenating roar of challenge, surged as one.

Wasting no time, Chopper lunged back, leaping and dodging over the crowd on surprisingly nimble legs,

**"GO CHOPPER GO!"** the doctor was off, rocketing down the streets as he tore away from the chaos.

Almost immediately, an explosion went off as the tyrant let out a bellow. Screams of defiance emanated from Luffy's protectors as the gladiators threw themselves at the king. A particularly loud cry had the sniper turning his head to see four thick tendrils weaving in the air with fighters in its grasp,

**"SHOW YOUR COWARDLY SELF HERE STRAWHAT AND I'LL PAY YOU BACK IN SPADES!"** Usopp paled as he saw just how much power the Shichibukai possessed; how the hell were they going to make it out alive?

**"USOPP! HOW MUCH LONGER?"** Chopper's deep baritone broke through his thoughts. The sniper bit his lips,

**"4 MINUTES!"** he called back only to grab onto the reindeer's fur when the doctor gave a sudden lurch to the side,

**"CHOPPER!"** the realization that his nakama was running on nothing but fumes hit Usopp with the force of a punch, **"IT'S BEEN MORE THAN THREE MINUTES! STOP RUNNING! YOU'RE GOING TO KILL YOURSELF!"** another staggering jolt and the doctor glanced down at his companion, a tired smile on his furry cheeks, his shaggy chest heaving with effort,

"You trust me." Something burned in the back of Usopp's throat as the reindeer gave himself a shake and moved on. The amount of willpower and stubborn resolve that stemmed from each and every one of crew was astonishing and almost humbling the way they continued to stubbornly fight against fate and push their bodies to the limit. Out of nowhere, a thick tendril sprung from the shadows and struck the doctor's back and the duo found themselves running for their lives when the tyrant, finished toying with the fodder, reached for them,

**"HOLY SHIT! RUN CHOPPER!"** The sharpshooter was on the verge of a heart attack as he threw himself over Luffy's body and squeezed his eyes shut as the thick threads shot toward them.

It was luck that reached them first; the doctor had pushed his transformation to its utmost limits, holding his form for an astounding _six _minutes instead of his regular three and even then, had been able to pull that form _twice _in a little over a day without collapsing.

Alas, the little reindeer had bite off more than he could possibly chew, his form instantly shrinking in time to avoid the thread's jabs and Usopp, with Luffy slung over his shoulder and Chopper in his arms, set off at a frantic pace.

The sniper felt every bone in his body along with the injuries he obtained from the twins scream in pain but he gritted his teeth and kept on, his mind, a blank line as the sharpshooter, with nothing but pure grit and determination, steadily pushed forward.

"Sorry Usopp," the doctor's voice was nothing more but a faint whisper that the sniper barely caught,

"Don't be, you did great," he said sharply. The sentence barely left his mouth when something sliced his calves and the sniper found himself toppling down,

"This is me politely asking. Give me Strawhat." Every hair on Usopp's neck stood at attention as he, trembling, turned to face his adversary.

Doflamingo was without a doubt, someone truly terrifying. A being that now stood over the sniper with an aura of such wrath and vengeance he could see his life slipping out of his body.

_"__You trust me." _Usopp's back stiffened, ramrod straight as he grabbed his pole and planted himself in front of his crew,

"I trust you." Arms steady, his weapon drawn, the sharpshooter prepared to meet his fate.

**"SPIDER'S WEB!"** threads unleashed, long strings lashed out, creating a net that opened its maw as it gaped opened for him.

Power, so strong it was debilitating surged behind the sniper along with a furious, ragged cry that had Usopp throwing himself down to avoid two thick arms the size of tree trunks blackened with the might of Haki shot from overhead and punch straight into the web,

**"LUFFY!"** he screamed as he watched his captain pull back his arm, the skin bunched up and folded into one another much like the spring of a cannon as Luffy cocked his arm once.

**"KIIIIIINNNNNGG KOOOONNNNGGGG!"** the shockwave was enough to blow both Usopp and Chopper from the ground; their bearings ripped clean off as everything around them gave a shudder and flattened beneath the impact.

Something smacked Usopp in the face and the sniper yanked the offending object from his face only to find himself holding a pair of stylish sunglasses now cracked at the lenses.

Doflamingo's sunglasses…

A roar resounded from the grounds had the sniper looking up in time to see the controlling ruler finally upturned and smashed to the ground.

This time, there was no way in hell the man was getting back up.

Silence ensued for a brief second as the citizens surrounding the area held their breaths,

"I-is he dead?" a bystander whispered. On hands and knees, Ussop crawled forward, using his staff to propel him forward till he reached the pit Luffy's attack created.

There, lying in the dust, amid the broken foundation, lay the tyrant that manipulated and played with the suffering city. Beside, him, lay the person who overthrew him, the only one who had the fortitude to stand up and deal the pivotal blow.

"IT'S OVER! WE WON!" the breath escaped followed by a thunderous cheer that swept through Dressrosa. Above, the shrinking cage gave a loud groan before it dissolved, setting its trapped citizens free.

Doflamingo's tyrannous rule over the city of roses was over.

Yet although their victory over the Shichibukai was finished, there were battles still left unsettled.

* * *

**We're nearing the end of this arc guys! Thank you for reading!**


	19. Chapter 19 Ridicule

**Ridicule**

**Finals are over! i'm relaxing into winter break so i have a chance to update! **

**Death-By-Sanity: I really enjoyed writing about Doffy, he's got this sadistic side of him that i can't help but be interested in hehe. **

* * *

**"****NIPPLE LIGHTS!" **Something stupidly weird and ridiculously bright shot from the cyborg's…Mason couldn't even turn his head to access the source of the light. What was it anyways? It was so bright that for a brief moment, he could've sworn the world had been stripped down to nothing but black and white. There was a blinding roar from Faylar as the beast launched himself at the Strawhat; he elite's brusque personality was long gone, stripped away by the pills he had ingested.

Faylar Bates' pupils were nearly nonexistent; his body, a shimmering beam of energy on the verge of exploding, the white, outlining his large body as the man lumbered ever closer.

He was mere seconds from exploding and for someone his size, he could easily fall a city in one take.

"Get behind me boy!" before Mason could react, he found himself thrown and tucked behind the cyborg's body as Pentel, out of the corner of his eye, darted for safety.

"What the f*ck does the bastard think he's doing?" the cyborg had been muttering quite a bit as he watched the elite leap into the air.

Mason looked up at him,

"He's going to go boom." If stupidity had a translator, at that moment, Mason was its man.

The Strawhat's eyes widened and an expression of "oh shit" took place as the beast fell upon them.

**"F*CK!"** Even with the Strawhat shielding Mason from the majority of the blast, the elite still felt the burn along the front of his chest, thighs and arms as Faylar's large body faded away in a dazzlingly white light, outshining the sun for a split second before just as quickly, it disappeared.

Something hard and heavy fell with a clunk on top of his head and Mason looked up to see that on his chest, was the Strawhat's metal arm, the explosion had stripped away the hard plating leaving a twitching mass of wire and creaking cogs. Owens, on slightly shaking legs, managed to stumble onto his feet, his aching neck turning to access the damage.

The cyborg was in ruins. Black scorched alongside his stomach and stitched chest, the burnt ends trailed up to his face, sizzling out of the hole in his eye and his electric blue hair had been completely singed off. One of his arms had been ripped off from the blast, the other dangled limply on his shoulder, his legs, however, were miraculously still intact.

Metal creaking upon metal, the cyborg, with a muffled groan, pushed something into Mason's stinging hands and the elite lowered his head, knowing instinctively that the cyborg had protected not only him, but he had spared his precious tonfas the mercy from obliteration.

"Don't lose 'em now kid." Came the low cough and Owen's jaws clenched,

"I didn't need your protection," he said hoarsely, his voice, thick from the smoke. The Strawhat let out a sharp bark of laughter,

"I'll take that as a thank you." Mason grimaced and shoved himself back onto his feet and with wobbly steps, staggered out of the clearing. He saw Pental step out of his shelter with his cannon hefted over his shoulder, fingers cocked.

"Stop." His friend froze, body tense as Owens stumbled over to him, "even if it leaves a bad taste in my mouth, I owe him." Pental narrowed his eyes at him, the silver highlights flickering in the morning wind,

"To owe someone is to have an obligation to pay or repay in return for something received." The hybrid machine turned his gaze onto the fallen cyborg, "You are the one who has a debt to repay," his arms stiffened,

"I however, do not."

"Pentel!" Mason snapped and his lithe body moved, his deft fingers flicking open the hatch that would release the razor sharp blades in the sides of his weapon as he swung his arm and slash downward, his movement so quick that it spliced apart the cannon ball as soon as it shot out of the barrel.

The cyborg froze, then lowered his cannon, his eerie orbs focused intensely onto his remaining partner,

"Are you questioning Doflomingo's order?" it was nothing more than a soft chide yet the statement sent a bolt of shivers filing down his spine and Mason stood straighter,

"We have an honor code Pentel." His voice was hoarse and he stepped closer, "I owe that guy, so I can't let you f*ck him up any more than he already is." His partner snorted and lifted his weapon only to have Owens position his body till he was facing brunt of the cannon.

The feeling of cool steel kissing his forehead made him aware of just how close he was to getting his head blown off,

"Please." At the word, the man cocked his head to the side, his eyes giving away nothing as he inspected him.

"Why are you begging me for mercy? The Guardia does not honor mercy." a slight tick flickered under his eye, "I do not understand, why do you beg for your enemy?" Mason swallowed, his voice surprisingly steady,  
"Because I would have done the same for you if you were the enemy." A disbelieving snort answered him and Owens lowered his arms,

"How long have we known each other Amar?" the cyborg threw him a weary look.

"Approximately three years, seven and a half months, four weeks and two days, sixteen hours and-"

"Right, you know what I mean," Mason rubbed the back of his head suddenly feeling incredibly stupid; Pentel wasn't far off the mark. Though the Donquixote appreciated the statement and meaning of clemency, it struck too close to home for others who grumbled that mercy meshed with humility and pity; sentiments that they all despised.

"Mercy is for the weak." It was a mantra long remembered during the last three years of their training.

"Don't do this Pentel," Mason warned when he saw the head of the cannon tilt slightly upwards. The cyborg shot him an annoyed glare before he promptly dropped his weapon down with a huff, the head clunking onto the dirt with the muffled thud,

"Fine then, what now?" Owens was already walking away, his eyes straight ahead,

"We go back, I'm tired." There was an exasperated sigh before a shoulder brushed his as Pentel Amar matched his footsteps,

"Tired means in need of-"

"Sleep or rest. I get it man I get it."

* * *

"Now, who's next?" Robin,-with a sweet smile and compassionate eyes,- managed to slip out of Bartolomeo's barrier despite his half-hearted protests as she strode over to stand beside her fallen nakama, her slender arms were crossed, ready to engage into battle.

There was an answering snort as the rest of the Donquixote Guardia hefted their weapons over their shoulders and smirked at her,

"You? Fight us?" the blond with a lance three times his height, had a fine brow tilted up in surprise, a sinfully wicked grin on his adorable cheeks as he leaned toward her, "how about we f*ck first then fight?" the smirk never left his face, "I could make it look like you're trying to resist me because of my devastatingly good looks while I see how many times I can make you come with my mou-" his fantasy was abruptly cut off when a pair of slim hands appeared over his thighs and wrapped around the area of his pants.

Eyes the size of dinner plates, the young man glanced down at his poor crotch, visible signs of sweat beating down his temples and he looked up in time to see Robin flash him a saccharine, sadistic smile,

"Clutch!"

Silence.

An ear-piercing howl rocked the air and the man dropped to his knees, his eyes lolling back and his companion shook his head muttering "f*cking idiot."

"Next?" It should be a crime for the woman to still have that sweet, heartless lilt on her face as she tilted her head to the side. Beside the fallen boy, a man looking no older than his late twenties shifted from his bored stance and stepped to her,

"I am."

"Stop Levy, lemme at her," came the groan and Levy looked down at the boy in pure disbelief,

"Are you bloody kidding me Aiden? You and your loud ass mouth got your balls crushed and you still want to fight her?" Aiden let out a short laugh,

"She didn't completely crush them, my left nut feels a bit numb but I think I can still-" the statement made the female Strawhat's grin widen slightly and she gave a soft chuckle, her fingers curling,

"Clutch!"

Another shattering scream of **"MY PRECIOUS!"** followed by a loud groan and both men turned to face her,

"You're going to tear out his balls you witch!" Levy snapped.

"Stop! Please! I beg you!" came the blubbering whimper and Robin tightened her grip, her chin tilted delicately down, eyes fixated straight ahead.

* * *

Levy had enough, his body bent, the man rushed toward her, his long grey hair blowing behind his head, secured in a length of leather and he drew back with a snarl, a long leg poised in the air,

"I don't like kicking women when given an option," he snarled, charcoal dark orbs glaring angrily down as the female Strawhat merely smiled and her hands further constricted together wrenching another shaking howl from Aiden.

If the elite guard had a choice, he'd rather refrain from touching females altogether. At an average 5 "9", the broad shouldered European was traumatized when it to handling matters that had to do with women.

Why?

Who knows?

All the world knew was that Levy Rye was deathly afraid of women.

As if the female pirate had an inkling of his fears, the damn women gave him another secretive smirks that had him burning behind his ears as he with a soundless snarl, aimed his shin for her head,

**"KEEP YOU'RE SHITTY HANDS OFF ROBIN-CHWAN!"** A shot up into the air, instantly halting his process as harden calf met the cuff of black slacks and Levy was sent spinning back.

"Still alive eh? You bloody French," the blond had managed to lift himself back onto his feet and now stood, slightly swaying as he glared heatedly at him,

"You've got something to say about it?" the sound of a lighter being flicked and a trickle of smoke rising from the Strawhat had Levy taking a step back; he hated the smell of smoke,

"Put that out," he growled. Noticing his discomfort, the man took a step forward, a small grin on his bruised and battered face as he leaned forward to blow a cloud of smoke directly into his upturned nose. Coughing, the European raised his bare foot, the speed so fast it didn't give the Strawhat a chance to register that the top of his cigarette was shoved straight into his mouth by the tip of Levy's big toe.

With strangled choke, the chef hacked the foul stick out of his mouth and wiped his chin all the while shooting daggers at his face.

"You little-" the blonde's mouth opened only to have the entire to half of Levy's bare foot shoved promptly into his mouth. There was a small shit-eating smirk on the Guardia's face and he watched the man's azure orbs widen before his foot was yanked out and Levy found himself jerked forward by his heel.

"Cuisseau Shoot!" pain erupted onto Levy's thigh and he staggered back only to have a multitude of hands sprout and wrap themselves over his neck.

Knowing too well the consequences of these hands, the Guardia tilted his elbows downward in time to block another hard kick from the chef and at the same time, allow his wrist to snap down and grab his daggers from their casing. With a grunt, the man swiveled the blades up, the sharp ends glinting off the light and he slashed the razor over smooth skin.

A soft cry of the woman's pain hit him; Robin was cradling both of her hands, the flesh on the back of her hands spliced apart.

An infuriating roar resounded and Levy twisted the flat of his blades to halt a burning foot inches from his face,

**"****HOW DARE YOU!"** spittle struck his cheek as the chef launched a barrage of kicks, only this time, Levy was ready. Movements so fine it seemed like a dance, the man weaved and bobbed like a reed, his lean body bent in unproportional angles as he narrowly dodged the man's strikes, his wrists lashing out like a snake, razor-sharp blades in hand, aiming for the man's Achilles tendon only to skim past skin.

The exchange was a maddening blur and lasted only a few seconds, but when the duo pulled back, the results determined the better of the two; the cloth on the chef's right leg had been entirely sliced apart, revealing an expanse of skin and fine hair, the hair-thin lesions standing out like a sore thumb on salmon-white flesh.

Levy himself didn't fare much better; his upper arms were heavily bruised and he could've sworn the idiot broke at least one of his ribs. Still, he'd come out in a superior shape than his opponent who at the moment was halfway to kneeling on the ground.

* * *

"Sanji," Robin's horrified whisper was covered by the rough curse spitting from the chef's lips as he accessed his leg; the lashes were short and thin and to the visible eye, harmless but Sanji was no fool; the slick bastard had managed to inflict deep, sinew cutting stabs into his leg. Already Sanji could feel his entire right leg violently tremble and knew it was only minutes till it gave way. His left leg took less damage but it didn't mean the wounds there didn't hurt like a b*tch. The blonde Strawhat touched his split lip, looked down at the rips on his suit and grimaced; ah well, he couldn't always look his best in the midst of battle. Sanji offered what he hoped to be a reassuring grin at his damsel in distress,

"Don't worry Robin-chwan, you just sit tight there and allow me to protect your honor," his female nakama turned her thin lips down in a concerned frown only to snap open, her hands already moving to prevent a jarring blow from smashing into the chef's distracted head. Pain momentarily forgotten, the cook pounced, his weight settling onto his injured limb as he launched himself forward…

_His arms shot out._

And with all of his fiery might, the knight decked in black smashed his fist down into the startled Guardia's cheek. With a grunt the man flew back, crashing into his partner who had just barely gotten up only to slam back onto the ground with a shriek. Sanji watched in pained amusement as the Guardia scrambled onto his feet and bent down to look at his friend,

"You okay mate?" there was an answering whimper of, "I think you broke something," that had the Guardia leaping up in shock. The blonde chef couldn't help it, his split lip throbbed as his mouth opened and the cook let out a bark of laughter,

"Serves you right," Sanji sneered and both of the elites whipped their head up to shoot him blistering glare promising retribution.

* * *

Aiden struggled to his feet, his balls let out a scream as the young lad hefted himself up using his lance as a crutch. He shot daggers as the still chuckling Strawhat, dark orbs flashing,

"I hope you rot in hell you old bugger," he hissed and he hobbled forward, teeth clenched, molars grinding. Just as the cook shifted himself in front of the women he was planning to avenge for crushing his jewels, there was a blur of movement followed by a shout of protest and Robin was in front of him, her wounded hands tilted up.

"Robin!" Aiden ignored the Strawhat, his focus completely on the woman in front of him, a slick smile on his lips. He was good at luring women to him; it was one of the reasons why he was the most carefree among the Donquixote; it was easier for him to get laid. With his laidback disposition and killer smirk that had women _killing_ each other for a chance in his pants, it was no wonder the man was confident.

Blonde, blue-eyed and jaw-droppingly good looking, Aiden Chuy, with all his Asian and European glory, threw Robin a smile that earned him his nickname manwhore.

What would have slain many innocent women didn't even make a dent onto the female pirate's impenetrable expression. She simply cocked her head to the side, slanted her weight to one leg, and raised a questioning brow.

She was mocking him, he knew it! Aiden quickly erased the grin and tried his infamous smirk; left side tilted up, relax the bottom lip, mouth closed, don't show teeth, make sure his brows were narrowed, eyes fixated onto target, queue the naughty look…

Nothing…none, zip, nada.

Without blinking, the woman opened her mouth…and proceeded to crush not only his right nut, but his ego,

"Is this what failure looks like?" two hands sprouted from Aiden's inner thighs, the fingertips, for a second, stroked the line of his bulge before fisting the zippers of his pants and with a jerk, yanked them down. In a split second, she had her two hands dealing a humiliating blow to his surviving testicle, four palms efficiently punching the lights out with a quick smash onto the base of his neck.

A choked, pig-like squeal emitted from the Aiden's lungs before his eyes rolled upward and the ground closed upon him.

* * *

"That's what you get for playing around with women," Levy muttered, shaking his head as he casted a sympathetic look at his friend laying head on the ground, bare ass sticking up in the air, lance lying beside him. The sound of knuckles cracking sounded and he looked up to see the Strawhat dragging the cigarette from his lips and flicking it to the ground,

"Ready?" he drawled and Levy bristled, his daggers flipped up.

They clashed, flat of blade to heel of shoe when without warning, Levy felt a hard blow to his wrist causing him to loosen his grip on his blade. Before he could readjust, his weapon was ripped from his right hand and the chef danced away on nimble legs,

"You bloody bastard," he snarled and the blonde chuckled, expertly twirling the blade in the air,

"Let me show you how to properly use a knife," the Guardia barely lifted his arm in time to block the strike that rattled his bones; the man was more than competent on a blade. Growling, he struck back, parrying blow after blow as metal clashed against metal.

"Haki," he growled and his blade blackened just as he sliced downward, neatly cutting the stolen blade in two, narrowly missing the chef's fingers. He used the opening to bring his leg down, pivoting so that he aimed for the cook's already injured leg.

To his surprise, his leg met air and he realized as two ankles crossed over his jugular and his body strained back from the weight behind him that the Levy had belatedly underestimated the man's speed,

"Poêle à Frire: Spectre!" blistering pain in the form of high accuracy shots rained down onto his head and Levy felt himself too, meet the ground in shocked silence.

_"__The curtains are closing,"_ he thought as darkness rushed to greet him. Levy wondered what happened to the rest of the Guardia only to remember something;

_"__If Doflamingo is still alive, he's going to kill us."_

* * *

**I know I feel like i'm rushing a bit with the battles but i know you guys are dying to see how Zoro and Nami's tumultuous relationship will unfold and i'm just as eager as you are.**

**We have TWO more big battles left! i've got the chapters after that prepared and ready but this next one is gonna be a biggie!**

***Squeals* i can't wait! Thanks for sticking with me guys!  
**


	20. Chapter 20 Rattled

**Rattled**

**I apologize again for the late update as classes are again back in session. I don't know if I'm happy or not with this chapter since this is the final chapter to close the final fight. I was thinking of holding this chapter back to look it over some more and see if I could think of anything else to add it to, but my mind has finally given up on me. **

**Credits to Hanzatsu-Hime for Concept. I don't own any of the characters except for the Donquixote Guardia, the rest belongs to the Great and only Oda himself.**

**Death-By-Sanity: Robin is truly a terror haha. And if the analogy given to is correct. Being kicked in the balls is equivalent to being punched in the boob. So I'd say it's pretty painful.**

**jolphuong: yes, dem glasses are beautiful. XD**

**Thank you for the reviews guys! You guys are my cheerleaders behind the scenes! I'm always grateful for your support!**

* * *

_"__How. Is. This. Stupid. Skeleton. Beating. Our. Asses?" _Daven Collins was quickly growing irritated by the way the skeleton had been able to nearly effortlessly deflect his punches and kicks while Steven was also doing his damndest to gang up on him. He didn't worry over why the pile of bones was moving; he couldn't care less. All he really cared about was how he was going to nurse his bruised ego after this battle. The elite grunted and ducked to avoid the end of Brook's blade careening into his wide forehead; his day couldn't get any better than this; in the morning he got his ass kicked by Faylar after confronting the man on the whereabouts of his lucky socks. Then Collins had been reprimanded by the commander after he decided to take a breather from sparring and head outside the men's dormitory for a quick smoke. What's worse, the disappointment on Steven's face when he saw his partner slacking off on his training left a bitter taste in his mouth as Daven made his way out with his partner for cleanup duty.

The pile of bones had come out of nowhere bearing a cane and a god-awful fluffy scarf wrapped around his neck and declared himself as their opponents and all of a sudden, Daven found himself locked in a fight he wasn't mentally prepared for.

It was lucky that his body was already prepped for this sort of instant whiplash that sent his mind reeling as the skeleton stabbed - what was a cane was now a katana – at him, his body instantly swerving to the side to avoid it; he was built to take hits like a champ and still deal out a good amount of his own. Lighting fast arms punched forward, the knuckles wrapped in gauze as the Guardia bobbed to and fro, skillfully dodging the Strawhat's sharp stabs, weaving past the skeleton's guard and with a quick huff, slammed his fist into what would be the thing's solar plexus.

"Ohhh! My poor body! What have you done- ah! I've almost forgotten I don't have a body! YOHOHO-" a razor sharp spear slicked through the air as the Strawhat brought his own weapon up in time to block the blow,

"Enough!" Steven was getting just as irritated as he cut down, hoping to end the skeleton's life with his final blow when all of a sudden, his tense expression froze and the man staggered back in shock, his hands coming to his head, grabbing it in pain. Daven froze, his face twisting in anger as he glared accusingly at the Strawhat,

"What did you d-" his words were cut off by a blinding sting that seared into his mind; the thing was sawing into his brain, cutting down tendons and splintering his mind. The Guardia's vision wavered and Collins collapsed to his knees holding his head. He was aware that the skeleton was shouting and realized that his screams were drowning out the thing's words.

Holy f*ck he wanted dig his hands into his head and tear out whatever was hurting him. Another aching throb had Daven shuddering, his chest heaved as bile rose in his throat; what the hell was going on?

It was a matter of minutes before his head cleared and when it did, Daven managed to open his eyes…and everything that happened the past four years nearly blurred from his memory as waves of new recollections poured in, snapping effortlessly together what he'd forgotten; gaps in his past, his long-forgotten cousin who had been one of the robotic animals working in one of the large factories. With a groan, the man raised his head to look at Steven who was too busy gazing at his hands in pure shock to even notice.

"W-what happened?" his mouth felt suddenly parched as the Donquixote scrambled to put together his mind who at the moment, was a cluttered mess. Ignoring the skeleton's concerned questions; he crawled over to his partner, "you okay bro?" Steven's eyes jerked to his, the once bright light in his dark orbs now stared back at him, spooked,

"My parents are alive," he whispered hoarsely. Daven's brow twisted,

"What do you mean? Didn't they leave you in the-" another memory snapped back in place and realization hit him, "They were Mr. Ted and Mrs. Flower!" he gasped, his mind flying back to two mechanical teddy bears he'd always seen on his patrols. He'd always wondered why the couple seemed so fixated onto Steven who had been completely oblivious at the time, busy carrying out his assignment.

Steven's parents were alive; Daven fell back on his ass and willed any memory of his parents to come back.

Nothing.

Were they even alive? Daven shook his head, his dyed hair flopping over his face; it didn't really matter to him if they were dead or alive, Doflamingo's overthrowing was the main center of his attention.

The ruler of Dressrosa was done in by a pirate. Albeit that he wasn't a no-named rogue, but still, it was considered a massive feat to fall a Shichibukai.

If Doflamingo went down, that meant…Daven surged forward, his arms scrabbling out to wrap himself under his partner and with a grunt, hefted the man up onto his feet,

"The marines are gonna be on our ass if we don't get moving," he whispered and gave his friend a hard shake. Steven blinked, jolted out of his stupor and all of a sudden, the man was fighting to get out of his arms,

"My parents! I need to see them!" he gasped and Daven swore as he lunged to grab him,

"Not now! We'll have another chance but today isn't that day!" as much as he longed to see his cousin, who was probably the only living family he had left, it was suicidal to try and search when there were soldiers swarming around at every corner. He gave Steven another impatient nudge, "I promise you when this is over, I'll help you look for them but right now, we need to get the hell away from here." He tossed a wary glance at the skeleton who had been curiously watching the entire exchange, "oi skeleton, you've won this round, we're running away now so don't chase us." The Strawhat tilted his head at an astonishing ninety degree angle, puzzled,

"Now why would I do that?" Daven paused, unable to find an answer to the tame statement. For the first time in a week, he allowed a genuine smirk tug at the corner of his lips and he tightened his grip around Steven's waist, "thanks." Without another word, he trudged down the road, holding his partner to his side, his back getting smaller and smaller with each step till he was no more than a speck in the midst of the convulsing crowd.

* * *

Brook let out a huff of breath as he watched the duo disappear into the throng, well-hidden from any prying eyes before he finally sheathe his blade and returned his cane to his side; he was admittedly disappointed that he didn't have the chance to fight properly as he would've liked. Even if he was more of a lover and not a fighter, the skeleton was a pirate after all.

Perhaps he could go and see if his other nakama required his aid. Decision made, the musician set out on a hunt for the rest of his crewmates, quickly picking up speed till he was smoothly cruising down the streets; his ultimate goal, the middle of the palace.

Someone bumped his thin shoulder and Brook, being made up of nothing more but bones and whatever he was wearing at the time was hip-chucked away a few feet. Before he could regain his balance and apologize to the person he'd hit, a gloved hand appeared out of nowhere and the Strawhat looked up, mouth partially opened to mouth his thanks to see one of the Donquixote Guardia's with a cannon hefted over his shoulder and a leather gasmask covering the lower half of his face. His companion stared down at him, looking a bit worse for wear,

"Hey I've seen you before," the tired looking one bent his head forward, gray –blue orbs squinting for a better look, "you looking 'round for your friend? The cyborg?" at the mention of Franky, Brook perked up considerably,

"Oh my yes! H-how did you know?" the man grimaced and jerked his chin to the opposite direction of the palace,

"He's lyin' on the ground back there somewhere," came the grunt and the musician was on his feet, alarm shining in the depths of his hallowed skull,

"I wish I could thank you from the bottom of my heart! But…" the skeleton looked down at his the empty cavern in his chest, "as you can see, I don't' have a heart! YOHOH-" the mouth of the canon swung at his head and the Strawhat ducked, scampering in the direction the man had pointed out,

"Don't let me catch you and your crew's interfering faces again!" Brook chuckled nervously as he weaved quickly through the crowd, scanning frantically up and down for a large blue and red bulk.

It was only when he noticed a child scurry past him carrying an all-too familiar looking robot arm that could only belong to a certain cyborg when he planted himself in front of the child, doing his best to look unthreatening as possible,

"Excuse me but where did you get that arm?" the boy who had been playing with the neat little gadgets on the scorched limb, juddered his thumb behind him,

"I got it from the dead robo on the ground." He mumbled distractedly and Brook felt his bones freeze; Franky? Dead? Impossible.

"Please let me have this!" without asking, he snatched up the cybrog's arm from the boy, ignoring his outraged cry and darted away, moving even faster, sweat beading down his cheekbones as the skeleton prayed for some sort of miracle,

**"FRANKY!"** it was a mixture of a desperate cry and a shout followed by the frantic shoving of arms and legs as Brook pushed his way through the small crowd formed around the fallen robot, his jaw nearly unhinged from his face as he took in the damage done to his crewmate.

Franky was beaten and battered in a variety of places. The most noticeable loss were his arms, right eye and a good chunk of one of his legs. The cyborg's armor had been scratched up and burnt in multiple areas and blood from internal wounds bled out from his mouth.

**"FRANKY!"** tears flowed like water from a bottle down the musician's cheeks as he elbowed everyone clamoring around him to the side,

"Skeleton?" the shuddering cough had the Strawhat jerking his head closer, he was already wiggling his arms under the cyborg's back, doing his best to support the giant's weight.

"H-h-hai Franky-san." With a pained groan, Franky hefted himself onto his legs, his shoulder pads dangled uselessly against his armpits, the loss of his arms evident in the way the heavy metal swung to and fro.

"S-all good, do me a favor and hold onto my arms and eyeball will ya skeleton?" the musician was already collecting the cyborg's missing limbs. With another heavy grunt, the two began moving through the ground, Franky's large shoulders and height provided enough mass to push the gaping crowd aside as they staggered to the ship.

* * *

"It's gonna be hell putting myself back together," Franky grumbled, as he looked down and accessed the damage done to his body; he thanked his lucky stars that he had been mindful enough to add another layer of metal and protection over his torso or he would've been blown to bits. The Franky two years ago would've definitely overlooked this. The shipwright glanced back at the large hulk of what was left of Faylar Bates laying among a thick puddle of blood; only the man's shoulders and chest and bits of his arms remained, the rest had been completely obliterated by the suicidal blast.

"More fool to you," he muttered quietly before the Strawhat set his sights back onto the Sunny,

"Oi Skeleton! I'm gonna need your help when we get back to the Sunny!"

"H-hai Franky-san!"

* * *

Nothing had changed, at least, nothing significant. There were no crushing, mind-blowing realization that a significant other had been turned into some kind of creature in Dressrosa. Nor were there any recollections of missing family members, lost lovers, or forgotten, desolate pasts. Captain Raphael Serg had no family, no past, no memories and no life-changing moments to remember. Serg loved, lost, killed and deliberately wiped his memories in order to rid of any past weakness that might come to bite him back in the ass. In doing so, he had cut off any sense of connections, leaving himself an open road full of dark opportunities in which he partook with great pleasure.

Raphael flexed his arms, taking note of the shallow slices marring his forearms with unusual interest as the captain and the last standing man of the Donquixote Guardia; he couldn't remember the last time he truly received enough injuries to have a lasting scar. _These, _although they were considered to the organization as light, would without a doubt, leave some kind of memory to him.

If he were still alive that is.

Three streaks of light cutting through wind whirled down so fast the man had barely a split millimeter of a second to flip his own folded blades upward to block the blow, his leg lashed out, nailing the Strawhat's kneecap. A grim smile on his face when he heard the man curse before Serg found himself swearing up a storm when the blades that he had thought he blocked slice down with more power than ever, nearly breaking his own blackened blades.

During the past hour, the men have fought till their minds, their strength and their reflexes had been stripped and broken down to raw animal instincts. Instincts that saved the captain from cradling severed wrists as Serg sprang back, the muscle along his thighs clenched as they tightened and convulsed, preparing for another attack. On the opposite side, Raphael studied the Strawhat crew's first mate; nicks and slices marred his body, deep punctures gutted his sides, chest and shoulders. The man was as equally rendered as he was; his own savage reflexes were the only thing recuing him from imminent death.

Their destructive capabilities were by far, equal to each other, yet at the same, their own strength hung by an unbalanced thread, threatening to unhinge from the slightest nudge to the wrong person. It was as if everything, the fate of their lives, their next breath, every single burning muscle clenching in tense anticipation for the next move. None of them wanted to acknowledge each other's tenacity; they were too hot-blooded to do so.

Adrenaline pumping blood into his veins, Serg noted the wild and almost suicidal light in the swordsman's dark orbs; killer instinct. He felt something inside him unlock and another high rush of the addicted drug called adrenaline rushed into his body, fueling his bloodthirsty delight.

With a primal howl, letting go all restraints and rigid code, they flung themselves at each other, their blades dipped crimson red with their opponent's blood.

Again they clashed, obsidian to pitch black, their sweat, growls and homicidal eyes glaring fiercely at each other as they lunged again, side-stepping, stabbing, slicing gaping lines and cutting deep lesions onto each other.

Scores of red lined the captain's body and he continued to keep up with the Strawhat's movements, each blow becoming more frenzied than the last, and yet the swordsman was able to counter his every strike with one of his own. It was a frightening dance, one that Serg bathed in as he whirled onto Zoro, a fierce snarl on bared teeth as he faked an assault only to expertly flip his sword upside down, the butt of the handle facing upward and he plunged the point of the blade down into the man's thigh, driving through sinew and muscle, scraping past the thick bone till the end of the blade made a satisfying thud into the ground, pinning the first mate into the ground.

A terrifying grin on his face as they were nearly nose to nose with each other, their sweat glinting off the sunlight in the back alleys of Dressrosa as captain and first mate glared at each other, hate and rage glimmering in their eyes.

Serg tightened his grip on the blade he'd driven into the man's thigh. By now, any lesser man would have given up right then and now. But Raphael knew, without a doubt that this monster in front of him was far from surrendering. With a roar that shook the heavens, the beasts the hunter and managed to trap, rose from its bindings, an earth-shattering bellow that seem to shake the foundations as the man, with a might heave of his body, tore his legs free from his chains. The blade ripped through his leg completely leaving a gaping hole bleeding like a red river as the demon with a thousand eyes stood upon proud feet, staring down at Serg with a look of challenge.

Covered in nothing but crimson blood and dust, it was truly glorifying.

* * *

Zoro was nothing more than a primitive Neanderthal fighting over his territory. His mindset, once filled with the promise of vengeance, valor, honor, loyalty and all sorts of emotional rage, were now shot and stripped down to nothing but the bare minimum.

_Kill._

_Protect woman._

_Kill._

_Killkillkill! _Every bone in his body screamed, seemingly numb to the pain inflicted upon him for a second before they shrieked to him of their wounds; _he put a f*cking hole in our leg! He nearly sliced our head off! _On and on they screamed and cried as Zoro determinedly ignored his body's exhausted protests and swung the dull end of his sword to the side, nearly dislodging his own shoulder in the process of avoiding another fatal cut to an artery. His entire body ached in places he didn't even know possible. His leg had become a foreign limb to him, he didn't know if it was still a part of his body. The man was moving on nothing but adrenaline and emotions that blocked out the consequences of the battle.

_Protectprotectprotect! _Protect his woman lying injured in bed, inflict revenge for her.

_Woman. Hurt. Man. Bad. Die._

It was a rather terrible mantra but a mantra never the less, the words piled more energizing gas into his burning body as the swordsman flipped and slashed his blades downward, punishing his opponent's open defense with a fatal stab, putting all of his might into the attack, his hands ripping into the Guardia's shoulder, splicing through bone and muscle as if he were cutting cheese. The sickening crunch of blade sawing past tendons and the disgusting rattle of six bones splitting in half from the impact left little to the imagination that he had cut from the man from his shoulder to the bottom of his first and last rib.

Anymore and he would've killed him. As blood poured profusely from the captain's side, Zoro watched, breathing hard as the man groaned in pain and staggered to the side, his hand clasping the large wound dealt onto his body.

No words were exchanged after that, neither of them were capable of it as the captain, with a gut-wrenching howl, abandoned his pride, his sword and ultimately, his life as he leaped onto Zoro, the muscles along his body twitching and spasming in obvious pain and the swordsman caught two pills between the captain's teeth before they disappeared down the man's gullet.

Before he could react, the leader was upon him, dripping arms wrapped tightly around his body, legs locked together in an attempt to hold him down. Together, they collapsed, the heavy weight and the thick stench of copper stung Zoro's nose as he was forced to let go of his own swords and block a blow to the face. Serg's face was mottled red; his entire body shook as if it was on the verge of exploding from within.

Maniacal laughter, loud and haunting, boomed from Raphael's throat, blood spurting with each hoarse bellow as he stared triumphantly down at Zoro, his dark eyes shining a maddening white, crazy with fervor,

"Do you know why you fight?" the words were so muddled that the swordsman could barely make out his words, "Do you know what's going to push you to fight from now on?" the Strawhat grunted, his arms shoving at the captain's body, struggling to work his legs from under the man's weight,

**"YOU KNOW IT TOO DON'T YOU! I KNOW YOU DO! YOU'RE THE SAME AS I AM! WE'RE CUT FROM THE SAME CLOTH! WE FIGHT NOT BECUASE WE WANT TO BUT BECAUSE WE'RE GUILTY OF IT! BECAUSE WE WANT TO BE THE BEST! BECAUSE WE ARE THE BEST! WE TORTURE OURSELVES WITH IT! FILL OURSELVES UP TILL WE'RE SICK OF IT!"** The words were now nothing but gibberish screams of pleasure as blood spurted out even faster, bathing the swordsman's face and chest.

"We're chained together. Brother." Raphael Serg was laughing again, nearly howling with ecstasy as white light filled his body. He stared down at Zoro who was still fighting free of his weight,

"Come. Brother." The last bit of blood had left his body, his eyes, glowing with abandoned energy,

"We'll go to hell together."

* * *

**(A/N) The battle is finally over! Now! Onto the more juicy stuff! I'll admit that like some authors, I don't have an entirely complete story where I can just post an update whenever I want to. I write as I go as this seems to be the better method for me. **

**PLEASE REVIEW! **

* * *

**To thank you guys for your ultimate patience to my now more unpredictable updates, I'll give you guys a sneak peek to what I have in mind for the future chapters! I've written a couple of chapters that will be in no particular order. Where these chapters will be placed I don't even know myself haha, I'm not even sure what events are going to happen in the future! XD But i'll be going along with you guys in this ride so have no fear!**

**Resiliant**

He was obsessed. Possessed by the admiration and the hunger…oh the hunger, he longed to touch her, to just wrap his hand around her silky locks, to follow the length of her beautiful jaw and kiss the spot below her neck. He ached to spread his fingers south and bury himself between her sweet thighs, taste her own need and brand it onto his tongue.

_"But I wouldn't change._

_I wouldn't change this love."_

The swords strapped to his sides were beginning to tremble as if they were responding to his thoughts and practically hummed to the rhythm of his desire.

He loved her, but he couldn't bring himself to touch her.

* * *

**Rest**

Zoro found himself tiptoeing at three in the morning from across the men's room to the women's cabin; he realized after uncharacteristically tossing and turning in his side of the bunk that he _couldn't sleep._ That, in itself, of course, was simply ridiculous since the person who created him had made it a given that the swordsman could sleep like the dead just about anywhere...

As the rest of the night dragged on, Zoro slept, curled as close as he dared to his woman, her hair wrapped around his hand and pressed tightly against his nose...

* * *

**Resolution**

"I fought to get better! I knew that this relationship couldn't go on if I didn't stop feeling sorry for myself and get up! I-" her voice broke and Zoro felt something inside him tear when he saw Nami's throat convulse, "I did it for us," her broken expression contorted from heart-rending, to gut-wrenching fury, **"I DID IT FOR US YOU BASTARD!"**

"Did they manage to break you too?" the query hung in the air, the stillness holding onto it, mocking him as Nami spun on her heels and fled the room, the door slamming shut behind her.

It was only then when he realized the unknown emotion that overwhelmed him; shame...


	21. Chapter 21 Reality

**Reality**

**I truly apologize for being so late! My classes this quarter were incredibly demanding, piling so much reading that i've been neck deep in books for the past few weeks. Thank you so much for sticking with my sporadic updates guys! **

**I also want to take the time to make an announcement; i won't be writing till sometime around the beginning of March because that would be when this crazy quarter ends. I've horribly underestimated the difficulty of my classes and so i need to spend some time getting myself back on track. I will be returning to writing this fanfic sometime in the MIDDLE OF MARCH. I've been dying to give you guys an update on what's going on since i know i haven't been posting as often, sorry about that. Because of this, i've been trying to set aside as much time as i could to at least write out this chapter which i've been working on since the beginning of January. Hence, the completed chapter.**

**Death-By-Sanity: I've missed you too! Yes! I can't wait for Captain America: Civil War to come out! But at the moment, i'm so hyped for the Deadpool movie showing this Friday! I hoped the snippets have you salivating!**

**Guest: Er...you da best too? ^^**

**jolphuong: Not gonna lie but when i read your review in the middle of my English class, i teared up a bit. Thank you so much for that compliment. Have no fear! I'll be lurking around somewhere with more ZoNa fics! Haha better the wall than me ^^ i won't be able to write if you shoot me.**

* * *

Sanji was busy cursing as Robin helped hoist his wounded body by tucking a plentiful number of hands and arms around his torn shoulder and wrapping her arms around his waist. The pain obviously wasn't enough to stop him from grinning like some love-struck fool from the way he was babbling on about the way her hair was "floating like an angel's wings" or some cheesy line that would've been humiliating if the archeologist was someone who was easily embarrassed. Still she smiled and nodded along to appease him.

With the chef's badly injured leg, the two crewmates set off at a snail's pace, accompanied by the ever crying Bartolomeo supporting the other half of Sanji's body. The fanboy had offered to prostrate on the ground and give the cook his back so that he could carry him back to the ship but Sanji had vehemently rejected and so they were forced to walk the rest of the way.

The walk back was filled with muttered curses along with spurts of salty tears and blubbering tales from Bartolomeo as he gasped and fawned over the Strawhat's adventures. Robin had to bite back a smirk from forming over her lips at the repulsed look Sanji had on his face as the cook tried his best to ignore the devil fruit user's incessant babble.

It was only when the tip of Robin's boot touched a small trail of blood when the trio stopped to look.

Horror replaced the rising smirk on the historian's face and the sound of Sanji's alarmed short and Bartolomeo's gaping cry hit the air. There was a rough jostle and Robin felt her grip onto the cook's arms loosen when Sanji tore himself from his support and hobbled as quickly as he could over to what was the swordsman's body,

"Zoro!" Robin was at Sanij's side in a flash, her mouth parted and a quick exhale escaped her lungs as she took in the damage that looked nothing but a pile of flesh and blood staring back at her.

It was a miracle that the first mate could even turn his head. His entire body from the neck down was completely covered in nothing but blood and what seems like chunks of flesh and organs littered all over his body. Blood poured from a gaping wound on his left leg and both of his arms and chest was smattered with knife-like stabs. From the way the blood trickled out of his mouth in an unbroken stream, he'd broken at least a good half of his ribs. It was impossible to tell if there was even a chance that he'd survive. Both of Zoro's eyes were sealed shut and his breathing was faint but to her relief, air filtered out in sharp, faint gasps.

Sanji, despite his own grievous wounds pushed aside the pieces of flesh without a word and with a traumatized Bartolomeo's help, they managed to carefully heft the broken swordsman and between gritted teeth, walk on unsteady legs to Doflamingo's rundown palace.

* * *

As marimo's blood trickled down Sanji's hands, the chef had to clench his teeth and tighten his grip onto Zoro's shoulders; the blood was making it more difficult to hold onto his companion with the liquid slipped and sloshed between his cupped palms and dripped down his elbows. Sanji forced himself to quicken his steps as his eyes traced the bruises lining the man's jaws and watched his crewmate take in another shuddering breath.

Something was wrong. It didn't escape the cook's sharp eyes as he watched the way Zoro's already narrowed brows seem to draw even further down his eyes.

He didn't know what happened during the swordman's fight but if anything, the man didn't leave the battlegrounds completely unscathed.

And he wasn't talking about the physical wounds either.

Something during the fight had truly spooked the man, going by the telling shudder and the momentary flashes of what could only be a mask of agony. Sanji looked up at the historian, a wordless conversation passed between them and she nodded; she too, had noticed.

* * *

Zoro woke up to darkness, plunging and swift, his entire body throbbed with the sharp acute of pain. He didn't have to look down to know that nearly his entire body was wrapped in gauze. Heck he couldn't even feel his toes. The swordsman made an effort to get up only to feel his chest give a scream of agony and with a grunt, he collapsed back into the mattress. As Zoro's eyes adjusted to the room, the familiar shapes of the mahogany drawers, the off-kiltered cupboard with its handles hanging, and his quilted blanket over his body told him that he was back at the Sunny. With a sigh, the swordsman allowed himself to fully relax; he was in a world of pain and even then, the ache sweeping over his body couldn't keep the haunting words the captain had screamed before his world exploded in a flash of blinding light.

_The same cloth._

Zoro stifled a muted groan rising to his lips as a harried Chopper stumbled into the room, his tiny arms full of bandages,

"Zoro! You're awake!" at the doctor's cry the wooden boards to the men's cabin thundered with the sounds of a feet trampling over the ground. Seven heads popped into the room, each holding a mixture of expressions varying from worry to exasperation.

"I'm soooooo g-glad you're still alive!" Franky, with his newly repaired eyes and arms, sobbed into Brook's handkerchief and he plopped onto a chair beside Zoro's bed. The swordsman grunted when he felt weight settle inches away from his person; the offending elbow had scraped against his wound,

"Bwahahaha! I knew you'd survive! You're too stupid to die!" the swordsman glared at his captain who currently had something stuffed into his right cheek,

"You-"

"Alright! That's enough guys! He needs a break! Let's go check on Nami before we set sail okay?" A murmur of agreement sounded in the small room as the Strawhats withdrew from the bedside. Cold fingers brushed against Zoro's arm and his half-closed eyelid flew open to see the historian staring down at him. For once, she didn't have the secret little smile on her face; instead, the woman studied him, a delicate brow cocked.

"You need something?" he was beginning to feel uncomfortable under her scrutiny,

"What happened to you back there?" the swordsman barely held back a flinch as the hairs along the nape of his neck rose in warning,

"What do you mean?" he shrugged and winced; not a good idea. Robin bent forward and Zoro instinctively tensed as those imperceptible orbs searched his for answers, answers that he refused to give.

She drew back after a moment,

"Whatever is going through your head right now, stop it. It's only going to ruin you in the long run." The swordsman snapped his teeth when a hand sprouting from his stomach patted non-too gently onto his bandaged rib, "do you understand? Zoro?" His molars grounded together and he gave her a tight nod; nothing escaped that woman's eye. Robin gave his rib a satisfied pat before she neatly pivoted on her heel and joined the rest on the other side of the ship.

As the door slid shut behind her, the swordsman was struck with an overwhelming urge to leave his bed.

To see her.

On bended knees and broken body, he'd go and see her. He wanted to, he _had _to.

The need to assure himself that she wasn't as truly broken as he thought, that there was some sliver of a chance that she'd recover. She could do it. He knew her better than most.

_Born from the same flesh._

_Brother._

Zoro's temples throbbed and he immediately brought his hands up to rub his forehead. The pads of his fingers touched something wet and the man drew back his hand in surprise; he was sweating?

_Brother._

Loud clatter had him jerking his head to the side in time to see his swords roll off the bedside cabinet and topple to the ground. For the first time ever since he'd woken up from his injuries, the sickening feeling of dread sank into his body; something was horribly wrong with him.

_Fight it_. A blistering snarl erupted from his throat and just like that, the sensation melted off his body as the swordsman bared his teeth and glared down at the blankets.

_We are one. Brother._

_Fight it. _His hands balled up into fists as his strength began to wane, Zoro felt his body shudder and he tightened his entire body as if he were preparing to fight for his life. Adrenaline soared into his exhausted self and the throbbing in his head increased till it was pounded a painful rhythm into his skull.

With a final hiss, the sensation slipped away and he caught himself before his cadaver collapsed back into the bed.

_On bended knees and broken body_….the results from his effort dripped down his cheek as Zoro eased himself off the mattress. Every muscle in him screamed for mercy as the swordsman's booted foot missed a step and he stumbled, his arms gave a shriek of agony when he barely saved himself from the ground. With a growl, Zoro bent briefly – the movement sent spots darting into his vision – as he swept his swords from the ground and stuck him to his side.

On bended knees and broken body…he'd see her.

On bended knees and broken body….she'd bring him a measure of peace to his tormented mind.

* * *

By the time he managed to hobble his way over to the woman's room, Zoro was nervous, no, nervous was an understatement, he was sweating bullets. His palms were damp with agitation and the hairs on the back of his neck were standing on end. The column of his throat moved as he painstakingly swallowed, the tendons along the lines leading to his jugular stood out in strained relief as the swordsman struggled to hold his swaying body steady as he stood in front of the door to the navigator's room.

He. Was. Afraid.

He didn't know what he should say nor did he have a clue on how to properly react to the woman whom he'd bend over backwards for. All he had in him was the aching need to see her welfare. The crew had all been briefed on how to approach and treat their assaulted navigator. Given that Luffy still didn't know the meaning of personal space, the captain had – after an eon of explanation - agreed to refrain from getting too close to Nami and if he touched her, kept it impersonal and brief. There the swordsman stood, profoundly glued to the entrance while the rest of the crew – saved for the Luffy – cautiously edged toward her, their expressions carefully masked, displaying a something akin to comforting and empathetic.

What appearance his face was currently wearing he didn't know, he didn't really care to try to fix it either. Zoro uneasily fingered the handles of his swords and shifted his weight to his other leg; he wasn't exactly the best person to be cuddly or buddy, buddy with. In fact, he was quite the opposite. The man snapped and fumed and glared like no other not to mention his demonic behavior that had even the marines take cautious a step back. His distant demeanor held no appeal to anyone and mostly led him to a steady flow of arguments and pulled punches to his face as a result of nitpicking with a crewmember.

His hands itched to touch her, his eyes were already unconsciously running over her body, the muscles along his arms were trembling in black fury as the images of a broken arm, bandaged eye and gauze-wrapped head entered his vision and he fervently wished that he could turn time and redo his fight; he'd make the man scream till his vocal chords snapped from the strain, his skin would be methodically and shallowly sliced and peeled centimeters from each other, his nails would be slowly dug out, bent back and pulled off, each bone of his hand from the tip of the finger down to the knuckle would be broken. He'd then be cut and dissected from the abdomen to the bottom of his kidneys as he –

"Zoro?" Chopper's soft voice snapped him out of his murderous haze as the doctor tapped a hoof onto his thigh. He lowered his head to stare down at his little companion,

"You alright? What are you doing out of bed! You should be resting right now!" the reindeer's brown orbs inspected his tightly drawn expression and fisted arms crossed over his chest, a hint of perplexity clouding his eyes. Zoro grunted an affirmation; he wasn't in any mood to spill his guts. Guilt was already boring down on him and Zoro desperately yearned to do something, anything in order to wipe the current sentiment taking root in his body.

It had only been a few minutes before Chopper began to usher everyone out of the room; Nami was beginning to squirm and the rest of the crew had begun to notice how uncomfortable their navigator was feeling. When the reindeer's pushing hooves reached Zoro's pant leg, the swordsman's body stiffened and he mutely shook his head,

"You need to go too Zoro," Chopper's furrowed brows glanced up at him, understanding and sympathy screamed back at the swordsman and Zoro casted his head back down as he edged his body past the doorframe and into the room; he didn't have a clue how he was suppose to explain to the doctor the urge that was bordering on frantic how much he needed to be here. How much he wanted to simply stand there and watch her sleep. What was he expected to say? Sorry Chopper but he needed to be there with her like he needed his next breath? That she was the reason his demons were kept at bay? That he couldn't leave the room without the violent urge to rip something apart and go on a murdering spree?

The answer must have been on his face because the doctor said nothing but threw a small smile and gave him a reassuring pat before he slipped past him, gently sliding the door partway shut behind him.

The bit of light from the partially open door illuminated onto the foot of the bed and Zoro allowed his eyes to cast over her still form; did she know he was still there? Zoro kept his arms plastered to his sides as he leaned back and closed his eyes; the throbbing was nearly overwhelming.

"Zoro?" it was the quiet tremble in Nami's voice that had him snapping out of his pain-filled haze and leaping to attention. The swordsman opened his mouth to reply to her query only to find his lungs locked, his jaw frozen and his mind in a scramble for words. He snapped it shut and nodded his head; he didn't dare trust himself to speak for fear of her reaction. There was a delicate sigh that nearly escaped his ears as his navigator pushed her weight against her cushion as she settled back down. After a beat of silence, the ridged swordsman allowed himself a moment of reprieve,

"I know you're there," again the hushed whisper made him tense; the stiff cords along his neck tightening as he watched her, jaw now working furiously and Zoro felt something akin to heat infuse his cheeks as he stood there, hands dropped and fisted to his sides, holding his breath. A soft, weary chuckle echoed throughout the room before heavy stillness blanketed once more,

"Thank you." Zoro blinked; _for what?_ He had to force his body to stay glued to his place as Nami pushed herself up, the pale glow of the moon allowed him to see the beautiful wisps of her fiery hair and the stark white bandages on her body along with the pale blue blanket covering her lower torso.

"Are you alright?" at her troubled tone, his lids flicked down again; was she kidding? _He _should be the one asking her that! His tongue darted out to lick parched lips as Zoro swallowed, his voice a husky rasp of dark velvet grating along gravel,

"Hn." _What kind of reply was that?_ His Adams apple bobbed as the swordsman wet his lips and made another attempt…he grunted; pathetic.

Another tired chuckle lilted across the room and melted in his bones and Zoro closed his eyes; it felt as if it had been an eternity since he'd heard her –albeit tired- laugh. As usual, his body automatically migrated in her direction as if a mass of strings were pulling him to her. Zoro's foot shifted forward and he moved closer to her,

"Stop." The navigator's soft lilt instantly shifted to a hysterical note and Zoro immediately froze, his wild orbs darted to hers, noting the way her bright orbs widened and her slim body clenched in preparation to fight.

It was as if she regarded him as…the swordsman sucked in a sharp breath and nearly staggered back. His narrowed brows twisted in a painful grimace and he felt the incisors along his teeth sink onto his bottom lip,

"I'm not them." it was spoken with a harsh bite that blistered the air and he watched her flinch as he lurched back; _don't go there. _

_We're cut from the same cloth. Brother._

The swordsman squeezed his eyes shut; he needed to get out of there before he did something he'd regret for the rest of his life. The rough edges of his boots squeaked as Zoro spun around, hand fisted and curled over the handles of his swords as he marched for the door,

"W-wait." Again he froze and inwardly cursed; he could never deny her when she sounded so heartbreakingly miserable. When Zoro turned to face her, his heart nearly shattered when he saw the way Nami shook as she tilted her chin up, her dark eyes boring into his, her expression one of disconsolate hope,

"I'm going to r-recover," it was the slight tremor of strength in her voice that did him in; in all that brokenness stood the burning aspiration to stand back up. He saw the utmost depths of her inner strength; caught the barest glimmer of hope hidden in her eyes buried beneath all the pain, all the haunting terror in which she was now trying to hide. Zoro saw the road of obstacles ahead of her, he perceived and wondered just how many times she'd have to fall, how many times she'd have to breakdown and the amount of power and might she required in order to be able to stand back up on her own two feet. And now, seeing the almost desperate determination in her eyes…

All that… it nearly brought him to his knees.

Something thick clogged his throat and he dry-swallowed as a wave of emotion swamped him; f*ck he was getting emotional these days. Hunching his shoulders, the swordsman made his way to the door, stopping to run the rough calluses of his palm along the smooth edges of the doorframe.

"Fall seven times, stand up eight." The minute the words left his mouth, Zoro knew that she wasn't going to be the only one fighting her demons. "A strong person is not the one who doesn't cry. A strong person is the one who cries and sheds tears for a moment, then gets up and fights again." he turned his head to look at her in time to see the first drop of liquid fall past her eyes,

"You can cry now, but when you're done, you're gonna fight." This time, the words were firm, full of confidence in low and unyielding tones as he locked his eyes with hers, "you're gonna fight to get better. You're going to fight because we're all fighting with you." The swordsman's broad body slipped out the door, his deep voice reverberated back to her, softening to something of a warm caress,

"We fight this _together_."

* * *

**_To all the women out there:_**

_ "__She has a quiet confidence that screams loud. She is humble, but strong. She is stable, but rebellious. She is giving, but not naïve. She chooses her battles wisely. She'll stay silent until it's time to fight… and when that time comes; FIGHT she does." ~ Jordan Sarah Weatherhead_

**_Thank you for reading! ~ Please review!_**


	22. Chapter 22 Rewind

**I. AM. BACK! I'm sorry for the wait! But i'm finally on Spring Break! It took me awhile but here is the next installment of Retribution! Thank you for waiting! **

**Disclaimer: i do not own One Piece. The concept belongs to Hanzatsu Hime**

**Death-by-Sanity: I finally saw Deadpool right after my finals! Loved it to death! I'm buying that movie when it comes out of theaters! Yes the Op movie should be already out by now. I haven't seen it yet though! Just for that, i promise you one of these chapters will be named Radish! Haha. **

**jolphuong: I had a ton of fun writing that chapter! Those moments are precious! **

**Thank you silent readers and reviewers!**

* * *

**Law**

Law liked everything in boxes. It was his way to of killing time and enhancing his instinctive intuition by shelving and categorizing types of people based purely on observation. He had the checkmarks for his crew and everyone he'd met categorized neatly in place under his large mushroom shaped, flop of a hat. Sometimes he found it a bit difficult to put a solid mark on a certain person but in the end he always did.

The rubber captain was stored into the idiot-but-strong area. Everyone else was nicely tagged under those subunits.

Now as the surgeon watched from his position beside the stern of the Sunny as the swordsman hobbled out of the men's room and made his way to the other side. It didn't escape his eye when he saw the way the man clenched his hands over the handles of his swords as Zoro hobbled over to the rest of the Strawhats nor did he miss the noticeable tension on the man's stiff shoulders. Law didn't know exactly what was haunting the man, but if there was one sentiment he could draw from the man was that the first mate was clearly in agony.

What was wrong with the man? Law, for once, couldn't figure out what was plaguing the male other than the black cloud he detected hanging like death over his head. The surgeon found that he couldn't exactly place the swordsman as a complete idiot, nor could he label the figure stiffly walking away from him as strong because as the moment, the man was more than just physically weak.

With a slight furrow of his brow, Law created an entirely new category just for the bandaged man: angst- and-thickheaded. Satisfied, he leaned back and readjusted the sling folded over his arm.

With Chopper's help, he'd manage to reattach his arm and now, he waited patiently at the head of the ship for the Strawhats to head to their next destination.

* * *

There was a small island not far from their terminus situated a few miles west off their course. With the alarming amount of injures the entire crew – including Law – had acquired, Chopper's provisions had dwindled at an alarming rate, forcing the ship to make a pit stop before they continued ahead.

The island's name was Nishima, mainly known for its shape, similar to the contour of a transponder snail's shell and shaped by a bounty of evergreen forestry. The island itself wasn't much, aside from housing the town that occupied it. Ships had once used this particular isle for the odd trading post here and there along the way. According to Robin's limited memory of the island, the town and its occupants held a mainly peaceful reputation, preferring to live undisturbed by the tumultuous chaos of the world. However, the little island had decided to suddenly close its borders despite protests from the marine and isolate itself from the rest of the New World. Rumors of the city of Nishima was actually a duel island supported by the trees much like the ones in Sabaody Archipelago leaked out sending curious travelers flocking to the isle only to fly back onto the ships in fright screaming of a curse that would plague any man who stepped foot into its boundaries.

It was at the island's small harbor that the Strawhats had decided to finally stop when Chopper finally announced that his supplies were near empty. As soon as the Sunny's anchor dropped into the water, Luffy leaped off the edge of the ship, his sandals slapped onto the sand and he threw his arms in the air,

**"LET'S GOOOO!"** He took off, arms still madly waving in the air, one of his hands was tightly grasping the plastic handle of his lunchbox he had Sanji prep for the crew beforehand,

"Oi! Luffy you idiot! Hold on! You have the supplies list!" the cook shot after him and lunged, his legs giving him the enough boost so that he managed to snag the captain's wrist and drag him back to the ship. Unfortunately, he only succeeded in dragging Luffy's arm back with him; the rest was still a few hundred feet away, "we can't leave yet without a plan! So hold your impatient ass for a second!"

"He's right; we know next to nothing about this village. I data I have on this place is ten years ago so it's outdated." Robin stepped off the ramp of the Sunny as the majority of the crew including Trafalgar gathered in a loose circle around the rubber captain's stretched arm,

"Why don't we split up and meet back here in a few hours?" Sanji casted a glance back at the Sunny, "someone will have to stay behind to watch over Nami," the cook himself would be more than willing to if he didn't need to restock the crew's refrigerator and supplies.

"I'll do it, I need to repair my ammunition anyways," Usopp was already heading back up the ramp, his bag in tow and promptly disappeared into the ship's underbelly.

"Right then, we dock the ship here for a day or two and buy what we need before heading back out." With a twang, the chef's grip onto his captain's wrist flew back to its owner and Luffy took off,

**"MEEAAATTTT!"** his enthusiastic scream scared at least half of the island's inhabitants because almost immediately, several sets to guns rang the air with their thunderous blasts, the bullets riddled the captain's body, sinking into his flesh only to bounce back out. Shrieks startled the chaos and the rest of the crew came running,

"Luffy! What did you do now!" In that instant, the Strawhats including the surgeon froze at the click of the gun as the muzzles of multiple barrels trained themselves in their face. From the looks of the group that held them at gunpoint, it was a surprise to see that the people wielding the guns looked no older than their late twenties.

"Hold it! Put your arms up you trespassers or we'll shoot you all through your heads!" Of course, no one was amused and with a sigh that sounded suspiciously regretful, Law flicked his hands out,

"Room." The dome around him expanded, engulfing their weapons and enveloping their bodies,

"Shambles." There was a series of loud screeches of shock as heads bounced around each other, torsos misplaced and wriggling hands and limbs stacked on top of each other,

"H-help!"

"What is he!"

"Where the hell are my hands!"

"Give me back my head you asshole!"

"Holy shit Erwin! Your mouth turned into a dick!"

"Tra-guy put them back!" Luffy demanded and the man shot him a long look and deliberately juggled a couple heads in the air for a few seconds before he returned every flinging limb to their respective owner,

"Don't tell me what to do Strawhat-ya," he snapped and leveled an irritating smirk at the young men who flinched and stumbled back,

"H-he's a devil wielder just like the Monarch," one of them whispered. This seem to send the rest in a shocked silence as they all turned heel and scattered away toward the village,

"H-hey wait!" Franky lunged forward, looking to stop someone for answers only to have every single one of them scramble out of his reach. "Damn they're fast!"

"Oi!" Luffy shot his arm out, instantly snagging one of the fleeing boys by their heels. The poor kid fell to the ground flat on his face and he spun around on hands and feet and crab-scuttled back,

"P-please don't kill me!" he squeaked as the Strawhat captain bent over him, puzzled,

"Do you have meat?" the man peeled his lips back and sent the boy a wide, friendly grin that only seemed to terrify him even more.

"Luffy you're scaring him!" Chopper shoved his way between his nakama's legs and approached the frightened lad who immediately pointed his gun at the reindeer with a shaking hand,

"S-stay away from me!" he yelped when a hand sprang up from his rifle and slapped the weapon from his hands leaving him defenseless.

"We're not going to hurt you, we're just stopping by to refill supplies," at the doctor's words, the boy began to shake even harder, his arms were already propelling him backward,

"T-there's n-nothing for y-you to b-buy here s-so go away!" he managed to stumble back onto his feet and without a backward glance, took off at a sprint, "you're working for the devil! All of you!"

"Well…that was strange, I thought you said they were friendly," Franky turned his head at Robin who had a small crease between her brows as she frowned,

"I don't know much about this island but I've recently heard rumors of some sort of curse that has been plaguing this place forcing the government quarantine the entire island."

"C-c-curse?" Chopper gaped wide-eyed at the grove of trees and nervously tiptoed back, "but it looks so pretty here," he reached back and grasped Zoro's pant leg and ducked behind it,

"Whatever it is, we're going! Let's go!" that huge I-smell-adventure look on the captain's face had the entire crew –saved for Law- inwardly groaning as they followed the man's rapidly fading back down the worn path that would eventually lead them straight to the village.

* * *

She was a Vaishya; daughter of a butcher, one of the lowest in Nishima's caste system. She had no name, none of the people in the Vaishya did. Only the Monarch and the Brahmins were granted a name. The rest of the classes; the Kshatriya who were warriors, the Vaishya, peasants and merchants, and the Shudra the laborers were denied an identity other than their class and family role. Word from a group of Shudra who were standing guard of forgien aliens who worked for the devil who were now in Nishima spread like wildfire in the village of Nishima. Soon it would reach the main island and the Monarch would order the Kshatriya to assemble their army for battle.

She had heard of devil workers. They were terrifying aliens who breathe evil magic and sent the world outside of their haven into chaos. They were the reason why Nishima closed its borders and refused all sort of trade. Everything was self-cultivated. A system of trading with crops and other homemade goods and produce served as the foundation of the entire island. The biggest portion would always of course go to their Monarch. He was bestowed the divine power to rule the island. The Monarch was to be looked upon with reverence and fear. He had the ability to destroy those who opposed him and wipe away families who disobeyed him.

No one was to leave the island. That was the ultimate rule.

Everything must go according to the will of the Monarch.

The entire village was currently hidden away in their safe houses beneath their homes. Her father had shut down his shop and threw dust at the stables and set the horses loose onto the pastures before he too hid himself in the cellar.

If she strained her ears, she could hear the faint but cheery shout of the aliens.

They had arrived.

* * *

"It's so quiet here." Chopper examined their surroundings puzzled; the village was immaculately clean if not a little dusty. The cobbled streets looked as if someone had recently swept it and it was clearly to anyone that this village was fully functioning. Still, it was strange not to see a single soul in sight.

**"HALT! YOU TRESSPASSERS!"** the sound of swords drawn from sheathes and guns cocked had the reindeer stumbling back as an army of thirty battle-hard warriors stepped out from the thicket of trees and marched in unison toward them. They halted a few feet away and a hulking figure stepped out, his gun at his side.

His body was decked from parts of his neck, arms and legs with tribal markings. The rest was covered by plated armour as he held his weapon at ready and approached the crew,

"Why have you come here?" he demanded. Luffy shot him a friendly grin in the form of a mega-watt smile,

"We just want supplies and food!" he craned his neck forward an peered around the warrior to look at the stalls, his nostrils flaring, "you got any meat in one of those things?" a metal rod slapped his elongated neck and Luffy was thrown to the ground, "we have nothing to give you here! You're all servants of evil! The most wretched and treacherous of all beings!" He spat on the ground in front of them, "begone! We want nothing to do with you curse lot!"

Sanji grimaced and pulled his stick from his mouth,

"There's no need to be rude," he reached down to pull his captain up, "we'll just wait till we reach the next island. We'll make a detour if we need to." Robin shook her head,

"There isn't another land for kilometers. We'll be in trouble if we don't take this chance to stock up now." The chef chuffed and turned to face the warrior, "is there any way we can peacefully buy some things? We'll leave right after we're done." A shot rang off and Sanji cursed as he ducked to avoid the bullet, "Oi! Watch it!"

"Leave this island this instant!" was the warning growl and everyone tensed.

Luffy crossed his arms and to everyone's surprise, plopped his body cross-legged onto the ground,

"Don't wanna." it was such a simple statement, yet the reaction it had on the fighter was terrifying as it was comical.

His neck turned puce and the man raised his gun and aimed it directly at the captain,

"Then die!" he pulled the trigger and the muzzle exploded.

It was obvious that bullets did absolutely nothing to the Strawhat captain. However, it was when Luffy gave a shout of pain when everyone realized that those weren't simply ordinary bullets.

"Shit! They've got sea-stones in them!" Sanji shot forward to grab Robin as Franky slid in front of his captain, his palms flicked outward and he retaliated. The swordsman was a blur in the thick of the army. His arms a tightly crossed whirlwind that sent a thunderous blast that scattered the unified military force apart.

The battle was over in a matter of seconds. Even without the devil fruit users, the Strawhats were more than capable of handling themselves,

"Are you done firing?" Zoro had his head currently planted on top of the leader's temple and he leaned his weight onto his head. The man spat and grunted,

"You sicken me," he hissed, "immersing yourselves with these evil beings," the swordsman chuckled and shook his head; "You mean devil fruits? What rock have you been living under? The world is full of them." At this, the man choked, his expression an insipid color,

"Corruption!" he croaked, "curses to you all! You've brought nothing but destruction upon this world!" Zoro smirked and pressed down just a bit harder,

"The only curse you'll be spouting is at your own self." He bent down on a knee, keeping his other foot on top of the man's head, "why are you so hostile towards us? What have we done wrong?" the warrior spat out another expletive before he muttered,

"Everything must go according to the will of the Monarch." That got a raised brow and a frown from him,

"Who is this Monarch?" at this, the warrior managed roll his eyes up enough to shoot him a blistering glare, a raspy chuckle echoed out of his chapped lips,

"He's the one who is going to deal judgment on you fools. He will avenge us!" Zoro couldn't help but roll his eye; the concept of gods were nothing but bullshit to him,

"I think I've heard that line somewhere," Sanji tapped his own foot against the man's arm, "something along the lines of a long-eared idiot who shot me off his ship." The cook nudged the man's hip, "do you know what he did to his followers?" he leaned forward, "he abandoned them you idiot." The offhanded comment had the man thrashing violently under their foot,

"You'll pay for saying that! The Monarch will never abandon us! He is our savior!" a scoff slipped past his mouth,

"This must be some sort of joke." He muttered and released his foot, "we just need to buy some supplies from you. How difficult is that?"

"You'll never get anything from us!" Zoro jabbed the tip of his boot at his forehead,

"We're not stealing! We're buying!" he shrugged, "we'll steal from you if you want us to since you won't trade with us. We're pirates after all." There was a minute of silence.

Finally, after a hoarse cough,

"Fine. You are allowed to trade with only the markets in the outer ring." He pushed onto his knees and Zoro and Sanji let him. "When you've finished, leave at once! I'll be reporting you lot to the Monarch."

Slowly, the army regathered themselves in a dignified albeit battered group and melted away into the trees. Seconds later, there was a low roar of a war horn blown and out of nowhere, the house nearest to the Strawhats opened as one by one, villager after villager poured out of their homes.

The entire town had come to life. Windows were pulled back up and chimneys billowed with smoke. Most importantly, the stalls were reopened and back in business.

"Do you happen to have some fish?" Sanji and Brook ducked their heads under the rings of the drape and halted when he saw the woman selling shrink back in fear. He held up his hands and gave her a warm smile, "I just want the best fish you've got."

"W-we only have these." She shakily gestured at the ice covered trawl in front of her,

"There are not a lot of options here." Sanji frowned as he bent to inspect one of them. His finger skimmed over the trout's slick side and he shook his head; even if he bought out the entire store, it wouldn't be enough.

"Maybe we should go somewhere else and look," Brook shifted his grip on his cane as the two slipped out of the booth and froze when they realized something,

"Where is Zoro?"

* * *

Meanwhile, Chopper toured the small town with Robin, looking for a place that sold medical equipment,

"What did they mean by the markets in the outer ring?" he turned his furry head up to look at the historian walking beside him,

"There's probably some sort of inner ring behind this village. It's quite unusual to put the rest in an inaccessible area but," she readjusted her pack, "from the looks of the stalls we see, we won't be able to find the materials you need." The doctor scanned the rows and sighed,

"You're probably right."

"This is stupid!" Franky stomped up to keep in pace beside the duo, "None of these guys sell any metal parts! Everything is either made up of wood or stone!" he gave a grunt of frustration and tapped his eye, "some of these things can't be fixed with just scrap metal." The cyborg turned his head and tried to crane his neck past one of the stalls, "we're gonna have to get into the inner ring if we want to get what we need." Robin nodded,

"I wonder if we can just-"

**"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU DON'T HAVE MEAT!"** the familiar shout along with a distinctive bang had the three sprinting toward the sound,

"I-i-I'm sorry s-sir but this portion i-is for the Monarch." A man with a grimy apron wrapped around his neck was hugging an enormous portion of mutton as if his life was on the line.

"But I'm hungry! Can't you just give him something else?" Luffy whined as his head sagged onto the table, his lower lip jutted out as his stomach gave another rumble, "Just one bite okay? Please?"

"B-b-b-b-but-" unable to take it any longer, the captain's head shot out, his mouth gaped open and he latched on with hands and teeth onto the massive chunk,

**"NOOOOOOOO! LET GOOOOO!"** the poor chef scrabbled to wrap his hands around Luffy's neck, his face a beet red as he yanked and pulled only to fall back as Luffy swallowed and ripped off another hunk. The butcher was crying as he kicked and screamed till Franky managed to pry his captain off the platter. By then, the majority of the mutton had been consumed.

"Luffy! What are you doing!" The shipwright locked his arms around his captain's head,

"I was hungry! And he wouldn't feed me even when I told him I'd give him all the money on our ship." A hoof bruised his shin,

"Why would you do that?! We need the money!" Chopper hissed and he turned to face the butcher who was flat on his face, knees on the ground, hands in front of his head in a gesture of mercy,

"Forgive me Monarch!" he cried as the sound of clanking armour sounded in the middle of the outer ring,

"To the caste of Vaishya and Shudra! We have come to gather your monthly offerings to the Monarch!" At this, the man turned a sickly pallor and he stumbled back whimpering and violently shaking his head,

"No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no," he muttered as he pulled out a cloth and dabbed his balding head and wiped his hands on his dirty apron.

"Father, the Kshatriya are here." A girl no older than sixteen froze at the doorstep, her eyes went from the oversize belly Luffy was currently sporting, to the empty wooden pallet on the ground beside the house. Back and forth she went until she sank down onto her knees, her arms dangled limply to her side, "f-f-father? Where is the offering?" the butcher ignored the girl and continued to lay his head on the ground,

"What's going on?" Robin's mind quickly put two and two together and she turned her head to see a group of warriors toss a cluster of fish onto their wooden cart,

"Taxes." She murmured as the watched the collectors approach, "it seems that our captain ate this family's payment to their ruler."

"Vaishya family, where is your contribution?" if it was even possible, the man's expression paled even more and he began to hyperventilate,

"I-I-I-I," he faltered as he crumbled back to the ground,

"I ATE IT!" there was a loud burp as Luffy waddled forward, patting his extended belly, "you call tell your Monarch or whatever that it was delicious!" he gave them a pleasant smile and burped again. There was a staggered croak as the butcher wrung his hands,

"Y-your honor i-if you can just give me a few d-d-days, i-I'll h-have another p-portion p-p-prepared." There was a beat of silence before the warriors sprang into action, their weapons clicked open and as a single unit, they fired with deadly accuracy,

**"STOP!"** Franky leaped out, army spread wide as his metal body intercepted the bullets as they shot from his hulking torso. Behind him, the girl screamed as she threw herself over the cowering man's body.

"Remove yourself from him! Punishment must be dealt!" the cyborg narrowed his eyes and he crossed his arms,

"I don't know about you but that's no way to punish someone. He just asked for a few days!"

"And you!" the warrior narrowed his eyes at Luffy who looked completely oblivious at the chaos he'd caused, "we'll be taking you meddling lot to the Monarch! Let him deal judgment upon you aliens!"

"You're not taking us anywhere." Franky growled as the girl began to drag the butcher into the house. There was another audible click as the guns raised,

"We'll see about that."

* * *

Nami cracked open her eyes; her head hurt from constantly sleeping. With a soft groan, she sat up and rubbed her eyes, blinking under the light outside,

"Guys?" her voice fractured and she winced at the dryness in her throat, "hello?"

"Nami! You're awake!" Usopp poked his head in and the navigator had to grip the sheets to keep her body from instinctively flinching,

"Y-yea," she managed to give her friend a small smile as the sniper bustled into the room, "I was wondering when you were going to wake up. You slept for two days so you're probably hungry." He placed a bowl of steaming broth he'd heated up and a glass of water beside her bed, "Chopper said to take small bites." The navigator's stomach gave a rumble and she gave him a nod in thanks before she placed the bowl on the tray on her lap,

Small sips.

"Where did everyone go?" Usopp clicked away at his gadgets for a moment before he looked up,

"We stopped by an island called Nishima for supplies," his lips slightly slanted down, "although going be the shots I heard a few minutes ago, something is going on down there." This got a worried frown out of Nami, who quickly devoured her soup before she could stop herself,

"Oi Nami! You don't have to rush," the navigator carefully placed the bowl on the drawer and threw off the covers,

"Nami! What are you doing?" This time, she visibly twitched as the sniper rushed toward her. Usopp froze and he slowed his pace, taking a step back, "sorry." She immediately hated the pained look on his face and focused on regaining her balance,

"I need some fresh air. Walk with me?" Usopp examined her expression before he turned to grab his Kabuto from his seat,

"Sure."

* * *

**Thank you for reading!**


	23. Chapter 23 Rudimentary

**Rudimentary**

**Hi Hi! I'm back again with another chapter!**

**Death-By-Sanity: Yes, Yes and he'd probably insult you in some form of polite sarcastic-ness he's so well known for haha. My exams did go quite well thank you! But i do wonder why i worked my ass off for a certain history class only to earn a B+?! How that even possible! I did some research on assault victims and i can only tell you this: it's going to get worse. But cheer up! Comedy and slap-stick humor and our ever loving angst goes hand in hand with it! Psst...i loved Deadpool so much after seeing it that i found a way to download the entire movie in HD hehehehe. Can't wait for Captain America!**

**Jen: Have faith! Cross your fingers and hope that Oda will slip in a bit of ZoNa for us! Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoy it!**

* * *

Nami cracked open her eyes; her head hurt from constantly sleeping. With a soft groan, she sat up and rubbed her eyes, blinking under the light outside,

"Guys?" her voice fractured and she winced at the dryness in her throat, "hello?"

"Nami! You're awake!" Usopp poked his head in and the navigator had to grip the sheets to keep her body from instinctively flinching,

"Y-yea," she managed to give her friend a small smile as the sniper bustled into the room, "I was wondering when you were going to wake up. You slept for two days so you're probably hungry." He placed a bowl of steaming broth he'd heated up and a glass of water beside her bed, "Chopper said to take small bites." The navigator's stomach gave a rumble and she gave him a nod in thanks before she placed the bowl on the tray on her lap,

Small sips.

"Where did everyone go?" Usopp clicked away at his gadgets for a moment before he looked up,

"We stopped by an island called Nishima for supplies," his lips slightly slanted down, "although going be the shots I heard a few minutes ago, something is going on down there." This got a worried frown out of Nami, who quickly devoured her soup before she could stop herself,

"Oi Nami! You don't have to rush," the navigator carefully placed the bowl on the drawer and threw off the covers,

"Nami! What are you doing?" This time, she visibly twitched as the sniper rushed toward her. Usopp froze and he slowed his pace, taking a step back, "sorry." She immediately hated the pained look on his face and focused on regaining her balance,

"I need some fresh air. Walk with me?" Usopp examined her expression before he turned to grab his Kabuto from his seat,

"Sure."

They set of at an easy pace, with Usopp plodding beside her, his head continuously swerved to scan their surroundings. Nami readjusted her grip onto her Clima tact and wrapped her arms around herself, her bare feet briefly licked by the cold waves that splashed her toes,

"How are you guys all feeling?" her voice was loud enough to make her friend turned his attention to her,

"Honestly? We're all pretty shaken up." Usopp kicked at the sand as they walked along the sandbar, "none of us really know how react to this." The sniper looked at the navigator, "but the more important question right now is; how are _you _feeling." Nami shrugged in response,

"Not too well." She admitted quietly, "It's getting harder to come clean with myself that I'm afraid of-" she broke off her thought and quickly shook her head, pasting on a small smile, "nevermind about that, do you need help with anything? Do we need to help everyone restock on other things? Why don't we head into the village?" she knew she was babbling but she couldn't care less; if it got Usopp from catching her mistake, she'd talk his ear off if she had to.

Her little slip might as well be a huge target mark painted neon on her forehead because the man immediately faced her. His guilt-ridden expression had Nami almost rush forward to comfort him,

"I'm sorry we didn't get there in time." Usopp said quietly and the navigator quickly reached out to give him a tentative pat on the back,

"It's not your fault! None of us knew this was going to happen!" she dropped her hand and continued forward, "Let's forget about this alright? Where is the village?" grateful for a change of pace, they made a detour to the main road and followed it to a fairly crowded entrance with a series of stalls selling a variety of produce and goods. To their surprise, there was no shout of greeting or even a gesture of welcome. Instead, the duo received wary glances or accusing glares shot in their direction,

"W-what's going on?" the sniper sputtered and he drew his Kabuto close to his chest, "they're not exactly acting friendly towards us." Beside him, Nami took an automatic step back when a particularly nasty passerby spat at the ground a few feet away from her person,

"M-maybe we should go back to the Sunny." She mumbled when a scene caught her eye, "Brook?" she fought not to back track as the musician drew closer, his expression one of panic,

"Brook! What's wrong?"

"Nami-san! Why are you outside of the Sunny?" the skeleton made a rush toward her and the navigator instinctively threw her arms out,

**"DON'T COME ANY CLOSER!"** the words were a shriek that had the man skidding to a sudden stop, his bony arms flailing out as Brook backpedaled. Usopp flinched next to her and Nami hastily lowered her arms,

"I-I'm a bit s-shaken right now s-so if you can just not get too close okay?" she gave Brook a feeble smile and he nodded vigorously,

"Hai! Nami-san!" he tucked his cane under his arm as he explained, "Sanji and I were looking for fish when we turned around and we see people shooting at Luffy and everyone else." He paused, "oh, and Zoro-san and Law-san are missing."

"Zoro and Law?" the sniper's eyebrows had disappeared into his hairline, "they got lost, _together_?" the musician froze for a second before he burst out into his iconic laughter,

"Oh dear! I hope they don't get themselves into too much trouble but…" Brook doubled over again chuckling.

"What's going on? Nami-swan! What are you doing here! It's dangerous!" the cook had all but twirled himself at the navigator if Usopp hadn't thrown himself in front of the chef's destination,

"Hold on Sanji! Now isn't the time for that!" he stuck his arms out, "Nami needed some room and so we decided to come down here and help you guys restock." Sanji immediately caught the hint and stepped back, bowing in a perfect ninety degree angle and elegantly sweeping his arms to the side,

"If you would allow me to escort you into the village, I'd be more than happy to my dear-"

"That sounds good Sanji, why don't you show me what we need to buy." Nami gingerly step sided the cook's outstretched arms and glanced around noticing just how sparse the vendors were, "why are there so little people out here?" Brook nodded his head in agreement,

"We got into some trouble with the village's guards. They've restricted us to only the markets in the outer ring," he scratched his cheek in frustration and craned his head up to look beyond the scattered rows of stalls,

"So that means the things we need are behind those grove of trees?" Sanji tipped his head down to pull out his cigarette,

"That's right Nami-san, there isn't much here that will fill the Sunny's cabinets," he frowned and glanced at her, "I also need to by some stock for you. There are some ingredients I need that the inner ring probably has."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Usopp rolled his shoulders and marched toward a gap between two booths, "we'll just sneak in. It can't be that har- oomph!" just as he was about to step past the back of the stalls, his nose crunched into something solid and the sniper was sent flying back. Sparks struck the area where he hit, scattering over the dent for a second before disappearing altogether. Usopp gaped in shock and rubbed his sore nose, "what was that?"

"Some kind of shock barrier." Sanji squinted, "it's got the same texture as the bubbles in Sabaody but with the electricity in it too." Usopp wandered into a random stall and poked his head under the curtains,

"Hi! Is there any way we can get into the inner markets?" the man inside quickly shook his head mumbling,

"The inner circle is r-restricted to the Vaishya and Shudra. Outsiders are not allowed inside either."

"Who lives inside the inner circle?" the question had the man clamping his mouth shut and he turned his back to the sniper,

"The Monarch." Was all he was willing the reveal. When it seem that Usopp wasn't going to get any more information, the shooter thanked him and pulled back,

"All I got from him was that this Monarch lived within the within the inner circle."

"I got the same answer when I asked. All the people here are tight lipped." Sanji exhaled a trail of smoke and stuck the stick back in his mouth, "either they're incredibly loyal or they're hiding something. I'd go with latter." There a loud yell that had the crew whipping their head to the right as a young girl raced over to them, her dark hair a mess and her equally dark eyes wild with panic,

"You're the aliens that came here with the other foreigners' right!" she stumbled to a stop panting, "they're taking your friends away to the Monarch to receive judgment!"

"Where are they?" Sanji demanded as they took off after the girl who'd already sprinted back from the direction she came from,

"Heading toward the entrance to the Inner Circle!" was the reply as they headed toward the other side of the stalls. Nami braced her legs to move them into a run when she felt a sharp pain explode on both her kneecaps and she staggered,

"Nami!" Usopp's arms hovered over her shoulders ready to catch her and the navigator gave him a weak smile,

"I don't think I'm fit for running guys." She bit back a wave of frustration bubbling up her throat at the look of pity on the sniper's face, "go on ahead, I'll catch up." The look he gave her made her feel like an idiot,

"Are you crazy? Of course we're not going to leave you here! I'll walk with you." He turned to suddenly run straight into Sanji who had spun around after hearing her condition,

"I'll protect her! You and Brook go ahead!" the musician made an attempt to object when the cook shoved both of his crewmates in front of him, "go follow the girl! We'll be right behind you!" there was a discontented grumble before they nodded and went after the young lady,

"Nami-san, may I offer you some assistance?" the woman gave him a look and used her Clima Tact as a crutch and together, they moved at a pace she was relatively comfortable with.

"Please let me help you Nami-san," after the fourth time she stumbled over. The cook gently lowered his hands under her arms in an effort to support her. Nami jerked away, nearly toppling onto the ground,

"I-I'm fine Sanji." She gritted her teeth as the chef snatched his hands back and fisted them to his side, a mixture of terror and disappointment on his face as he watched her walk,

"Then what do you want me to do?" he looked close to breaking as the chef suddenly flashed in front of her, his back toward her as he bent down on both knees and lowered his head to the ground, arms splayed back, "please! Let me at least carry you to the place!" he turned his head to look at her over his shoulder, "milady please! It hurts me to see you like this!" in an even softer voice, "we're nakama, we'll never hurt you." The navigator felt her legs tremble as she clutched her pole as if it was a life support and squeezed her eyes shut: what was happening to her? The early stages of what would lead to a panic attack was about to happen. Nami swallowed and glanced down at the cook's proffered back; how would she react when she touched him? Let alone allow him to hold her!

Hands trembling, she reached out and shakily placed her hands on his shoulder. As her front torso moved closer to him, her stomach revolted and Nami nearly jerked her arms back as her fingers dug into his clothed shoulders.

"I-I don't k-know if I c-c-an do this." She croaked. Blue orbs gazed at her, searching her frightened expression,

"Please…at least try. Think about everyone else, we need you there too." Nami let out an unsteady breath before she tentively hefted her body onto his. She knew the next step was to allow him to grab onto her thighs and push her up but her legs were glued to the ground,

"M-my legs." Nami bit back a discouraged curse as the chef lifted up his hands for her to see,

"I'm going to put my hands on your leg Nami-san," gone was the cooing in his voice and in place was the warmth and seriousness of a crewmate who had finally grasped the seriousness of her dilemma. Nami gave him slight nod before Sanji gingerly lowered his arms down. The heat from his body just about burned her skin as the navigator watched her nakama stop before he touched her,

"May I put my hands on your legs?" the chef was asking for her permission, thus giving her power in her decisions. The navigator paused for a second as her body seized, urging her to scream no.

"Yes." It took all she had to say the word. The skin along her thighs prickled and Nami held her breath as the cook carefully placed his hands onto her jean covered thighs. There was another pause as her body processed the sensation as Sanji, with utmost care, rose to his feet. Nausea hit and Nami almost fell off his back in shock as a wave of sickness struck her stomach. She automatically released her death grip on Sanji's shoulder to press a hand to her mouth.

With steady breaths, she willed the urge to hurl back down and felt the man's lean body freeze, waiting for her to regain her bearings,

"I-I'm okay." She murmured and her crewmate gave her a tight nod before he set out as fast as he dared after Brook and Usopp.

* * *

"Why did I ever let you lead?" Law muttered as he lunged to grab the back of the swordsman's shirt and yank him back onto the path they were currently following,

"I was trying to look for a shortcut." Zoro snapped as they traipsed through the dense underbrush of the forest. Somehow, the duo had found themselves –under Zoro's confident guidance- wandering aimlessly into a path created by the wilderness' inhabitants. Soon, they had completely lost their way and by the time they found themselves passing the same damn tree they'd passed twenty minutes ago, Law was vying to kill the green-headed man walking in front of him.

The surgeon, bored, decided to go after the swordsman when he heard that he wanted to find a fishing pole. Obviously he'd missed the known fact that the man was utterly clueless when it came to directions because Law ended up miles away from the outer ring and from the rest of the Strawhats and quietly cursing up a blue streak.

"What's that?" Law turned his head in time to see Zoro's back disappear from his sight. Spewing out another string of profanities, the man darted after him, not pausing to wonder why he found himself climbing up branches with his sword between his teeth and nearly crashed into Zoro's back. The sight in front of him had Law's expression identical to the swordsman's: jaw-dropping.

"How the hell did we end up on top of a f*cking tree?" Law gaped in astonishment and he turned his head to stare at Zoro: to be able to unconsciously lead someone unknowingly anywhere without them realizing, the man was indeed incredibly fearsome.

"Does it matter? Look at that!" the man pointed ahead and the surgeon lifted his head to gawk at the scene.

"Nishima, Two Islands." Law breathed as he and Zoro watched from their stand point as the trees seem to be drawn toward the middle of the island. From their place, they saw the roots of the trees drag themselves toward a large hole submerged in water and disappear from their sight. Another thought suddenly struck Law,

"Why are we thirty feet up a tree?" he watched as realization dawned upon Zoro and the man dropped his head and looked down,

"Oh shit." He gasped and Law grimaced and shook his head muttering something along the lines of "pathetic."

"So do we get over there?" he nodded toward the large hole. Zoro shrugged,

"Why not?" they each grabbed a thick branch with both hands and without another word, hurled themselves off the top of the tree and landed onto the second. The surgeon's legs shook slightly and he stabilized his erratically beating heart before he leaped again. That brief moment didn't slip past the swordsman's eyes as Zoro shot him a smirk,

"Afraid of heights?" Law sneered,

"Do you treasure your mouth swordsman?" the surgeon housed a _miniscule _amount of respect for daunting heights. He'd even go so far to admit that his legs sometimes trembled whenever he threw himself off a particularly high precipice. Zoro snorted as he swung himself with the grace of a large cat onto the next bough. Before the man could spit back a retort, shots rang the air as a bullet flew dangerously close past Law's cheek. Cursing, Law twisted to the side to avoid another row of cartilages flying at his head, his hand nearly missed the branch and he had to execute a flip in order to regain his balance. There was the sound of blades slicing wind as Zoro unsheathe his blade and with a flex of his arm, sent a spiral of cutting wind straight at the offenders. Screams of pain burst through the rustling of the trees as both pirates drew their swords and simultaneously swung,

"Amputate." The serrated edge of his blade slid soundlessly into his attacker's body as the surgeon effortlessly separated body parts from one another without letting a drop of blood fly as he diced arms and heads apart.

"Kokujo: O Tatsumaki!" a whirlwind of smoke and dust gathered the loose limbs and torsos and sent them airborne in the form of a twisted tornado accompanied by the alarmed shouts and cries of the assaulters. They landed on hands and knees onto the ground, dusted themselves and continued toward the large ho-

"Wrong way." Law stuck out his sword and slapped it against the side Zoro's thigh. The swordsman rubbed his offended leg and scowled at him,

"I knew that!" he growled and the surgeon sighed once more only to lash out his stick and smack the other wandering leg,

**"OW!"**

"You're going the wrong way. Again."

"No I'm not!"

"Then why are you walking backwards?"


	24. Chapter 24 Rapture

**Rapture**

**I'm glad that i've got a chance to update again! The plot thickens! Let me explain a bit about the Caste System i've implemented from a history class i took a month ago. The Caste System dates back in India (BC) when Jainism and Buddhism first started out. There are basically four levels at separate the rich from the poor. The Brahmins are the elite priests, the Kshatriyas were the wealthy the warriors and aristocrats. The next two levels were the lower ranks, the Vaishya, the peasents, and the lowest of the low, the Shudras. In this fanfic, the island of Nishima also uses this system.**

**I do not own One Piece. the concept belongs to Hanzatsu-Hime!**

**Death-By-Sanity: Rudimentary means the beginning of something. In this case, i'm using this term for the beginning of her fears and problems that would arise as this story continues. Luffy, being Luffy always causes some sort of trouble one way or another yet he's got such a strong will and determination that his role in this story is extremely important. Don't worry, he'll understand her...someday...haha. I've really upped Zoro's directionless self, how much? You'll have to keep reading my fellow reader. **

**Tweedle Dumb: Yes yes i'm doing my best to spoil you all XD. Zou will be my next stop after this self-created Arc which i lovingly dub the Nishima Arc. I purposely took a detour from Oda's course because an event that will take place on this island will set the pace for Zou's Arc. As for whether or not you can translate this fic, please pm me and i'll talk to you about it from there :)**

* * *

"Put the guns down!" Franky barked as every single Kshatriya warrior leveled the muzzles of their weapons at him,

"Either you leave the Vaishya here for their judgment or you come in his place! One way or another, you will be brought to the Monarch!" a sharp jab of the muzzle punctuated his words.

"Okay let's go! Maybe he's got something good to eat at his place!" a well-deserved twat on his head left the captain a fist-size bump that had him rolling on the ground, the blob was flopping like wet clay all over the floor,

"We'll go." Franky straightened from his bent position. He didn't trust the Kshatriya to keep their word as the army formed a ring around his companions. Only when they marched a few hundred yards away did he usher the frightened butcher back into his house. He jogged after the group and grudgingly allowed them to enclose him into the circle.

"Where are we going?" Chopper clambered onto the shipwright's shoulders and wrapped his arms as far as they would around the man's head,

"To the inner palace, where the Monarch resides." An upward sneer in the doctor's direction had Franky shooting the warrior a low growl.

They barely passed a few hundred feet away from the stalls when everyone suddenly halted. A Kshatriya wearing a peculiar glove raised his palm and pressed it against a transparent barrier. The unseen walls rippled from beneath his glove before a portion of the barrier fell away from his hand revealing a door a bit larger than Franky's bulk. The ripples increased as each person filed into the entry.

The second everyone passed into the barrier, a large ripple cascaded over the door, sparks glancing off the walls as it sealed the entrance, closing them in.

**"WHOOAAAA!"** Luffy tilted his head back to gaze up at the trees that loomed above their heads,

"This is the entrance to the Inner City. Be grateful that we allow you foreigners to even grace the land of the Monarch." The warrior gave an arrogant sniff to which everyone completely ignored.

"A forest of Sequoia trees," Robin murmured and she stepped a bit to the side and reached out to touch one of the massive columns when a hand halted her from going any further,

"Outsiders are not allowed to touch the great trees!" was the snap and the historian dropped her hand. The look on her face was nothing but a subtle smile but the light in her eyes was anything but calm. Franky flipped back his sunglasses to gaze up in wonder at the dark rimmed sequoias that reached to the heavens, their imposing thick trunks and dominating roots seem to up heave the ground and stretch for miles on end.

How is it possible that a bubble could hide the pathway to the Inner City that had the ability to hide all of this magnificence? Not to mention the size and height of these trees! They could give the giants of Elbaf a run for their money. The shipwright nearly tripped over a root thicker than his arms put together jutting up,

"Watch where you step." The cyborg muttered something unintelligible and kept his eyes fixed ahead of him.

"Is it just me? Or are the roots all pointing in one direction?" Chopper patted Franky's head for his attention. The mechanic frowned and he looked down and to his surprise, every single tree's large roots were all flowing in one direction,

"You're right!" He exclaimed. There was an excited yell followed by a chorus of shouts of horror as Luffy shot his arms into the sky and hooked onto one of the Sequoia's branches,

**"THIS IS AMAZING!"** the captain laughed gleefully as he swayed back only to release his arms and like a slingshot, ricochet himself onto another tree,

**"STOP IT! YOU'RE DEFILELING THE GREAT TREES!"** the Kshatriya in the front looked as if he was about to have a heart attack from the way the Strawhat joyfully grabbed onto another thick trunk. Luffy perched on top of one of the branches and grinned down at the group,

**"YOU SHOULD TRY IT SOMETIME! IT'S FUN!"** he let out another cackle and pushed off again

"These trees are ancient beings! If one of them breaks…" the Kshatriya trailed off when an earsplitting screech rang like a shotgun it the air. There was the sound of a sickenly loud crack along with a painful groan as a branch from one of the Sequoia's broke off.

And fell.

And fell.

And fell.

Till it smashed onto the ground a few hundred feet away from the group's vicinity with a booming crash.

Dust and silence stifled the air and the entire forest seem to shudder before the winds gave a final sigh that tore through the entire bubble and settled. Moments later, Luffy landed on top of the fallen branch, his expression, a mixture of chagrin and excitement. Going by the way he sucked his lips in and squinted his eyes and looked in the other direction, he'd gone and done it.

"Hehehe...whoops." He shoved his arms back behind his head and nonchalantly whistled as he quickly made his way over to the group and planted himself in front of the crew, doing his best to make himself as small as possible. Franky bit back a laugh bubbling in his throat at the way the entire Kshatriya army gawked at his captain, their faces ranging from petrified horror, to debilitating anger,

"You…you…" one of them was so furious he couldn't get a word out. The ground suddenly rumbled and to the Strawhat's shock, the gigantic roots around them shifted and rolled, the snake-like, moss covered grounders of these Sequoias reared into the sky upturning dirt and soil as they went. They slowly swarmed to the fallen branch, slithering over the limb till they had nearly encased the entire branch saved for the end and with another groan, lifted it into the air. Meticulously, they continued to climb up the tree whose limb had been broken off till they reached the wound.

The roots positioned the branch in front of the wound and froze. The Sequoia looked as if it were rippling as sap oozed from the base and up. Everyone watched in disbelief and awe as sap covered the break. The roots shifted, slowly pressing the limb back into its maker. Another soft creak and the grounders withdrew, returning to their own places and melting back into the ground in uneven lumps.

"Wow," Chopper breathed, his eyes nearly popped out of his head as he gaped at the roots curling back into the soil, "that was…"

"Wondrous," Robin finished. The woman's mouth was parted open, her eyes shining as they continued to travel deeper into the forest.

"You will pay for this," a warrior spat and the crew pressed together, waiting for them to retaliate.

They never got the chance; the clustered trees gave away to a large open space leading to a gaping hole in the ground. Roots clambered and slunk their way into the hole, plastering themselves against the cavern walls and Franky craned his neck to look,

"We're going down there?" he watched as each one of the Kshatriya warriors bent down and pull something buried in the ground; a ladder,

"We climb down alien." He began the journey down, carefully lowering himself onto the ladder as one by one; each warrior situated himself onto their ladder. Franky felt the muzzle of the gun prod his back,

"In you go." He made a face and reached out to grab the rung when rubbery arms wrapped around his chest,

"No thanks, we're good." The Strawhats felt themselves yanked together and the mechanic grunted when he felt Robin's body slam into his,

"Oi! Luffy what are you…" the cyborg didn't get a chance to speak as he was dragged forward.

"L-l-l-l-l-lufy, please tell me w-we're not…" Chopper didn't get the chance to scream when with a hearty yell, the rambunctious leader of the Strawhats leaped into the air and plunged into the hole,

**"AAAAAAAUUUGGGGGHHHHHH!"** Tears poured out of Franky's eyes and his arms flew into the air. Chopper had all but clung onto his head and hair in a death grip. The doctor and the historian's screams along with Luffy's gleeful shout echoed as the four plummeted to the bottom,

**"THERE'S WATER ON THE BOTTOM YOU FOOLS!"** Water? The shipwright panicked when he felt his captain's arms suddenly stiffen,

**"WATER?!"**

* * *

"Father!" the girl sprinted toward the butcher who was still lying motionless on the ground. Her eyes watered as she frantically looked the man over, "are you alright? Did they hurt you?" she clenched her teeth as Brook and Usopp came closer. The sniper ran over and looked around breathing hard,

"What happened? Where is everyone else?" the girl bit her bottom lip and she glanced down at the multiple of footsteps littering the ground,

"They've been taken," she panted and Usopp took a step toward the barrier,

"But how did they get through the wall? It shocks you once you touch it." The Vaishya dug into her pocket and pulled out a black glove,

"This is the key to the barrier. We all are allowed one per family in order to reach the Monarch or the Inner City." She looked down at her father, "let me take care of my father first." A hand reached out and grasped her arm,

"Help them." the man's breath was thin as he struggled to inhale, "T-they saved me from punishment. And we all know what the Monarch plans to do with them once they reach the Inner City." Hearing this, Brook stormed up to them and bent down,

"What do they plan to do with them?" the butcher looked up and momentarily stiffened, his eyes wide as he gaped at the skeleton,

"Y-y-y-you t-t-talk!" he wheezed and Brook pulled his hat off and bowed,

"Humming Swordsman Brook at your service!" he gave him a toothy grin, to which the butcher's eyes rolled back in his head and he promptly fainted,

"Oi! Answer the question!" Sanji had just arrived to hear the tail end of the Vaishya's words with Nami clutching his shoulders. The girl turned to look at them, her eyes ashen and she looked down to the ground,

"You were all destined to be sacrifices to the Monarch." She whispered, "The Monarch feeds off the souls of the servants of the devil." She turned her head to look at the orange haired navigator, "except you. The Monarch doesn't feed off broken people." At her words, the woman flinched and lowered her head as the chef growled. The Vaishya ignored the cook's discontent and tilted her head thoughtfully to the side,

"Someone else is slipping too." She murmured and she slipped the glove in her hand and stood up and hefted her father onto the porch chair and gently rolled him in it. She straightened her shoulders and turned to them,

"You need to take us to the Inner City! Our friends are in there!" Usopp rushed forward and held out his hands as the girl shot him a glare,

"Even if you know what the Monarch has in mind for you lot? Your friends are going to die in this place. They're doomed the moment they got past the barrier." She gestured at the transparent wall behind the stand, "no one can escape the Monarch and expect to live, let alone leave the walls without the glove." She looked imploringly at them. The sniper and cook snorted,

"You think that's enough to deter us?" Sanji shrugged, "young lady, we've been through much worse." Usopp nodded vigorously,

"We don't abandon our nakama! We stick together even when the worst is upon us!" something flickered in the Vaishya's dark eyes and she swallowed before rising to her feet, her hands in a tight fist,

"Very well, I'll take you to the Inner City."

* * *

"Is this even the right way? I think I found a short-cut to the hole." Zoro narrowed his eyes and he tried to see past another tree. Law rolled his eyes and swung himself onto another branch,

"It's simple Roronoa, we follow the roots. Even for someone like you, it shouldn't be too difficult." He pointed down at the grounders that he swore up and down were moving, "they're all pointed in one direction." The surgeon ignored the man's scathing glare and stalked up toward the next tree as the swordsman crouched beside him,

"So where are you heading after this?" Law risked a glance at the man before he leaped,

"Zou, my crew are over there waiting for me." He managed to keep himself from sliding off the branch and his sheathe banged uncomfortably against his thigh,

"We're heading that way after our…pit stop." Zoro frowned as he stabled himself and winced. The pain grimace didn't escape Law,

"I believe the doctor told you not to attempt to move so much." A loud snort was his answer and Law sighed, "This…pit stop…is turning out to be longer than you thought isn't it." Zoro's arms gripped the bark and his powerful body twisted as he landed,

"I guess." He shrugged and looked away for another possible branch. Law opened his mouth, his hidden curiosity on the dark sentiment he noticed on the ship that the man was housing but closed his mouth and shook his head; it wasn't his problem.

"Wait." The surgeon skidded to a stop, brows slightly furrowed and he looked down.

"Roronoa where are you leading us!" he snapped, "the roots are pointing to the right!" the swordsman paused, glanced at the ground and turned a beet red.

"This time, I'm leading!" Law hissed and he gave the man's belly warmer a hard tug as they jumped over to another tree.

A yell accompanied by the screams and pleas of the Strawhats pushed Zoro and Law to run in the direction of the shout,

"I told you it was the right side! Why do you never listen to me?" Law snarled and he resisted jabbing the man with his sword,

"Because I told you this was the f*cking short-cut!" the surgeon all but gritted his teeth and he made himself a silent promise; one day, he'd kill the idiot.

**"STOP!"** Law instantly screeched back, his legs scrabbling at the bumpy roots and he nearly slipped when the swordsman grabbed his shoulder for purchase, "f*ck." His breath whooshed out of him when a hard head slammed abruptly into his back and the man was thrown straight toward the large damn hole in the middle of the forest,

**"SHIT!"** hands grabbed the back of his shirt in an effort to yank him back but Law was already sliding down the slippery roots,

"Please tell me this is not happening," the poor man mumbled as his body slipped off the edge. Behind him, he could hear Zoro's scream echo the words in his head,

**"F**********CCCCCCCCCKKKKKKKKKKKK!"**

* * *

Luffy screamed and his foot immediately backpedaled. Franky felt the man's rubbery arms release his grip on his crewmates and the cyborg quickly snatched Robin and hefted her over his shoulder, his other arm grabbed a flailing Luffy as he looked down,

"Nipple lights!" Twin beams illuminated the waters below and the man squawked in shock: the walls of the cavern were not made of paved stone but solid wood; they were fall down the inside of a hallowed tree! Water, loud and ominous roared in his ears as they continued to spiral down,. Waves smashed and rammed against the hallowed wood creating an effect of two mountains crashing into each other. Franky braced himself as they crew landed into the bottom of the murky waters, his legs automatically kicked as the cyborg fought the waves to reach the surface. He felt his grip on both Luffy and Robin slip and the shipwright scrambled to grip tightly onto his nakama's clothes. He managed to reach the surface and broke the waters with a gasp. Franky looked around, noticing that there were no openings for him to clamber on to,

"Where the hell are we suppose to go!" he shouted. And answering splash answered him and he saw a few of the Kshatriya drop down into the water and point his finger into the water,

"Down under the water!" the cyborg shook his head,

"My friends will drown in the water," he snapped and the warrior turned his head in disagreement,

"There's a bubble surrounding the Inner City down there, you foreigners will be fine." He angled his face away from the engineer's nipple lights, "and turn off that wretched thing! It's hurting my eyes!" the Kshatriya gestured to the torches littered around the walls, "we have sufficient lighting here." Franky grunted and clicked off his lights.

"We dive." Sucking in a deep breath, the shipwright tightened his grip on his nakamas and dove headfirst down into the water. He was surprised to see torches incased in bubbles planted along the walls of the tree as they continued to follow the hallowed canal. Pressure closed around the cyborg and he glanced down at his friends; they were unconscious. Quickly, he kicked his legs harder, pumping his body as the man streamlined down till they reached a large bubble much like the one he saw in Fishman Island.

Electricity bounced off the protective barrier and rippled like a broken sound wave over the entire cover. Strong hands tugged Franky down and positioned him over the bubble. Each warrior reached out with a gloved hand to touch a portion of the barrier. Light flashed and just as quickly as Franky was hovering, he was falling. The group fell with a loud thump onto a pool of water, a sizzle sounded and the opening was immediately sealed shut.

Towels were thrown at the shipwright and Franky coughed and sputtered as he released his crewmates and sat up. He turned and brought his hands down on his captain's chest. Water spurted out like a fountain and the man shot up hacking,

"Where are we?" Luffy sputtered and Franky repeated the procedure on the rest of the Strawhats,

"I think we're in some sort of bubble." The engineer frowned as cradled a coughing Chopper in his arms and supported the limp historian as she stood up. The Kshatriya wordlessly motioned for them to step past the door. The cyborg helped his crewmates stumble past the door…

And promptly dropped his jaw,

"Holy shit." He breathed as the warrior closest to him smirked and swept his arms toward the glass that separated them from a sight that he'd remember for the rest of his life.

"Welcome. To the Inner City."

* * *

**A/N: I wrote the Forest of the Inner City with the Sequoia National Park in mind. Those trees are simply too beautiful and breathtaking not to use in my story! **

**Thank you for reading!**


	25. Chapter 25 Rebel

**Rebel**

**I know i'm late! I'm so sorry! It took me nearly two months before i could come up with more ideas to push this story on! Now that we have some juicy revelations going down! I can finally get this tractor moving!**

**I do not own One Piece! The concept goes to Hanzatsu-Hime and the characters go to the one and only Oda!**

**Death-By-Sanity: Sorry for the wait! Luffy, he's not too predictable but you can always guess when something goes completely wrong that he'd be in the thick of it! And I did mention that Zoro would defy all things that people deem impossible and sure enough, poor Law gets dragged with him. YES YES YES! I was so happy when i read that the Clima Tact would get another upgrade! And i definitely cannot WAIT to watch the movie!**

**jolphuong: ahaha you caught that tidbit didn't you ;) Retribution's entire theme does circle back to that song so i guess i can say that it is the Theme Song of this story. Welp, i hope your detective eyes can find some more niches here and there!**

* * *

Robin was, for lack of better word, completely flabbergasted, and nothing much in this lifetime surprised her.

It was something straight out of one's fantasy island. It was as if an artist had cut out a piece of the world and created and entire niche of its own beneath the water. Carved in marbles of various colors and layered in pristine stone, the long and towering walls loomed high in the sky rising as far as the bubble would allow them. Delicately designed in the utmost intricate details, the pointed, dome-like structures and etched towers of the Inner City was…cold… and absolutely magnificent. The sky of the Inner City was even more splendid. Flashes of the fading night sky with wafting billowing clouds and southern lights wove in shimmering colors over the Inner City, casting a mixture of dark shadows along the white walls and shining glimmers of light beyond every arch. The pale gleam of the moon shone like a beacon onto the entire city. Large, curvaceous structures and bridges intertwined in and out of the entire foundation, a twisting staircase twirled at the zenith of the entire city, the end point of the stairs stretched to the skies as if they could kiss the moon.

"This is the Inner City?" Franky sputtered as he flicked back his glasses and all but gaped at the stone structures staring defiantly back at him. The warriors only smiled and maneuvered them to a walkway where a large raft waited for them. Once they were all inside did they raft begin to move, maneuvered by long sticks stuck deep in the still waves.

As they drew near, the historian gripped the edge of the wooden boards and leaned forward, her head tilted back as she stared at the imposing barrier in front of them; what hid behind those walls? Why would this island choose to hide itself from the rest of the world? She stayed silent, watching as they were all herded off the raft and toward a door painted and rimmed in gold. A group of Kshatriya stood on guard in front of the entrance, their bodies tightened, their heads swiveled as one toward the small assembly marching toward them.

"The Monarch has requested for them." one of the warriors nodded to each other and after a moment's hesitation, slid to the side to allow them to pass. The architect noticed as they passed the sneers and curled lips of distain on the men's faces as they walked by. None of the Kshatriya uttered a word, but the emotions playing across their faces were more than enough to state their sentiments:

Foreigners were despised.

It wasn't a surprise, when the doors had parted open, to see the much-praised twenty feet sculpture of what seem to be a symbolic form of the Monarch posing in front of the entrance. The man had the mouth of some sort of large and majestic animal with its jaws stretched wide, fangs flashing, head thrown back as if roaring to the sky. The pearl white wings of a raptor arched and splayed out in a dominant flare on his back, powerful hind legs covered in scales and the hands of a giant outstretched to the open sky. Although it was quite unusual to portray a revered person in the form of such a beast, Robin had to admit that it was quite a sight to behold. A shoulder jostled her to the side and the woman turned to watch as her rambunctious captain shot straight past her and headed straight for the figurine.

**"****WOOOOO!"** Robin covered her mouth to hide a smile,

Of course. Only Luffy could make this day completely entertaining no matter how dire the situation.

* * *

"I'm kinda hungry." Luffy mumbled and he rubbed his stomach as it gave an audible rumble, "can we go in already?" the captain was just itching to see if he could get pass the pleasantries and stretch his hands onto the walls and swing himself over.

Heck, he was just about to do it when the doors gave a groan and the gold –wrought marble gates parted open.

**"****WOOOOO!"** the rubberman couldn't stop himself from blowing past the Ksh-or whatever-they're-called and just like that, with his mouth wide open in a ridiculous grin and his eyes shining in wonder, he had his head lodged side the mouth of a fifteen feet, marble cut, figure standing in the entrance of the Inner City,

**"COOL! THERE'S SOMETHING INSIDE THIS STATUE!"** the man had stuck his head inside the statue of what he thought was some sort of cool animal…

**"WHAT ARE YOU DOING SITTING ON OUR MONARCH'S STATUE! GET DOWN IMMEDIATELY!"** two warrior instantaneously grabbed for his legs and tried to drag him off, however, his legs merely stretched till only the soles of his feet touched down leaving the rest of his body still inside the mouth of the sculpture,

**"GET OFF!"** the warrior screamed and Luffy pressed his hands against the statue's face and pushed,

"I'm stuck." He let his body dangle there for a moment before he laughed; there was something funny about the situation he was in: aside from that, his nose was getting itchy and he wasn't sure if he could shove his hand inside to scratch it.

**"WHAT?"** the warrior gasped and another four pairs of hands tugged uselessly at his clothes,

"I said I'm stuck!" Luffy exclaimed and there was a chorus of frantic mumbles,

"Get out of the mouth of our Monarch!" Luffy shrugged and wiggled again; the position he was in was actually pretty darn comfortable, his elastic body allowed him to just hang…

The captain's nose twitched and Luffy stiffened and he lifted his head as far as it could go and sniffed…it couldn't be…his nose didn't lie…that was the smell of…

**"MEAT!"** quick as lightening, the man had his hands gripping the statue and his feet braced against the figure's marble body. With a jerk, he popped his head from the statue's gaping mouth, failing to hear the loud cracks sounding from the strength he exerted to pull himself from the mouth…

A loud gasp sounded just as Luffy had squeezed his head out. He sprang down and straightened,

"I'm out!" the captain felt something heavy between his hands and looked down to see that he was holding the Monarch's marble head. He looked up to see the warriors and every single citizen in the Inner City openly gawk at him in horror. His crewmates merely shook their heads in exasperation,

"S-sorry." He was already turning his back and running just as the sound of guns firing in his direction; it didn't matter if they shot him, his protesting stomach was his first priority.

Robin was still smiling as the shipwright chuckling next to her turned to face her,

"Should we go after him?" there was an excited pitch in his voice and she offered him a grin of her own,

"Of course." Her hands rose and crossed, a multiple number of hands sprouted from the startled Kshatriya's backs, yelps and curses and flailing arms erupted in the entrance of the Inner City and the historian sprang forward along with the lumbering cyborg with the doctor attached to his head and quickly pushed their way out to catch up with their captain. Of course, an uproar was to be expected as the crowd let out a bellow and gave chase, throwing whatever they could get their hands on at the small group.

Robin nearly tripped when an arm wound around her waist and for the second time in a row, she found herself pressed tightly against Franky's chest, her breasts squishing uncomfortably onto his shoulder. Amidst the screams, the historian had an inkling of what her captain's insane notions and merely closed her eyes and held on for dear life. Chopper's pleas fell on deaf ears as a surge of power ripped over her hips and she felt her entire body shoot high into the sky. Her stomach rolled as Luffy swung them as far as he dared on top of one of the Inner city's towers. Before she could even step back to breathe, the arm around her tightened and they were flung once more into the air. This time, she left her eyes open in time to see the Strawhat raise his foot in the air and bring them down on top of a pale tipped roof. Plaster shattered and the foundation gave a shudder as her captain dragged them all down with him right smack on top of a pub table,

**"FOOD! FOOD! GIMME THE BIGGEST PIECE YOU'VE GOT!"** Luffy flopped down onto a stool and banged his fists on the counter, his tongue flopped eyes, dark eyes shining in anticipation. The man wiping down the empty glasses gaped at him and nearly dropped his tumbler as he staggered back. His panicked eyes darted from the destroyed roof to the slightly bent table and his face flushed beet red,

"Are you going to pay for the damage?!" he demanded hotly as Robin crossed her legs under the table. She shot the man an apologetic smile as Franky barked in laughter and offered the bartender a friendly grin,

"Sorry, I'll fix it for you." the cyborg chuckled again and clouted his captain's head, "he's blind to everything when it comes to food."

"I can't think unless I eat something!" Luffy protested and he stared fixatedly at the poor bartender. The man gave his roof another worried glance before he turned around and headed for the back of the room,

"Give me ten minutes and I'll whip something up for you." Chopper stiffly unlocked his stranglehold on Franky's head and shakily clambered down to sit on the surface. His blue nose twitched when the undeniable smell of fried meat wafted from the back of the room and Luffy practically climbed onto the table, salivating all the while. He let out a sound of pure joy at the sight of a large plate of nothing but pan-seared red meat plated in front of him,

"Enjoy." The bartender jerked his hand back in time to escape a row of blunt teeth as Luffy dove in. Robin accepted a warm cup of chamomile and nodded her head in thanks, "what brings you here to the Inner City? I'm surprised you've been invited in the first place; we don't usually get many visitors." Franky lifted his head from his own plate, a kabob shoved into the corner of his mouth,

"We're actually hoping to trade with you guys before we head out." The barkeeper looked incredulously at the shipwright,

"Trade? You want to trade with us?" he snorted and wiped his hands, "we haven't traded with anyone outside of this godforsaken city for the last decade or so." Robin raised a brow,

"I read that your Monarch gave orders to shut down the borders to this Island. Is there a reason for this?" a strange emotion passed over his face and he quickly coughed and harrumphed,

"It's been so long since that happened that I don't remember the reason." It was more than clear that he was lying through his teeth but the historian decided not to push,

"Did you close down because your food was bad?" Luffy received another clod over the head for his remark. The man glared at him,

"Of course not! My tavern is one of the most frequented places in the Inner City!" he crossed his arms frowned before craning his neck to the nearby window, "It sure is unusually loud today." The man tilted his head to the side even further to look, "I wonder why they're so many people running around outside the stree-" the doors to the tavern burst open and a young man dashed in out of breath,

"Bartender! There are intruders in this city! We need to bring them to the Insurgence! The Kshatriya are calling everyone out to help captu-" his pale orbs landed onto Luffy busy stuffing his mouth and his eyes bulged out.

"Close the door boy!" the man barked and the entire crew tensed as the young lad spun around and slammed shut and plastered his back against the door. Robin discreetly clenched her hands, her expression one of nonchalance as she watched with a practiced eye at the boy. One word caught her attention and she turned to look at the victualler,

"The Insurgence?" Nothing escaped her ears; her mind was already working to piece the little things she'd picked up when they crash-landed onto the table. Keen observation had rewarded her with the realization that- "You're not a simple bartender are you?" The lines on his face became more pronounced and he stepped forward,

"How did you guess?" Robin smiled as a sudden wave of exhaustion settled over her body like a soothing balm and she realized belatedly as her eyes were already closing that they'd been handily drugged,

"Your…hands...I recognize…the insignia." A loud squawk of alarm had her using what little strength she had to twist her neck to see Chopper topple off of Franky's slumped head and onto the ground; he was the only one who hadn't touched the offered meal and drinks. The reindeer's body immediately expanded, his muscles swelled as his furry form shot up. There was a soft _snick_ of a bullet loosened from barrel that she nearly missed and the historian watched as the projectile sank directly into the doctor's neck.

He sank to the ground like a stone.

Heavy hands clamped onto her shoulder and she felt herself dragged up and over the counter. Creaks and snaps of metal being heaved over wood and the accompanying sleepy murmur echoed dimly over her ears as the Strawhats were slowly hauled into the abyss.

A few seconds later, silence was all that remained in the room.

* * *

"Not many of us frequently pass through here," the Vaishya motioned for the group to step past the thick roots as they continued to trek deeper into the forest. Nami ignored the churning in her stomach and focused on the breathtaking expanse of trees that loomed over her head,

"They're beautiful," she murmured and tilted her head back to allow Sanji to lift his head up,

"How long have they been growing here?" he grunted when his foot kicked one of the roots and reflexively tightened his grip onto the navigator.

Nami sucked in a shaky breath and began to silently count.

"These trees have been here for as long as I can remember," the Vaishya tucked the glove back into her pocket as they continued to move forward,

"So…what does the monarch want from us?" Usopp rubbed his nose and secured his bag around his waist only to trip,

"I don't know. We don't know much about him. We don't hear a lot from him either." She shrugged her slim shoulders, "According to my dad, long ago, the Monarch split the population apart with his hand and with his breath, he laid down the laws. My family rarely enters the Inner City, I've only been there a handful of times," the wistful note in her voice told them just how isolated the Outer City was from their counterpart.

"Is there anyone we can trade with in the Inner City?" She turned to look at Brook and her shoulders lifted again,

"Probably not, there have been rumors of some kind of rebel group wrecking havoc in there so people are probably too scared to leave their homes." The musician seem to perk up at that,

"Rebel group?" another unconcerned sniff,

"I heard it from some of the Vaishyas who travel back and forth from the city, they said the group wasn't happy with the way the Monarch was blocking our land from other countries." Usopp tapped his finger against his nose,

"But why did he block the island anyways? I don't see how this benefits any of you."

"It doesn't." the Vaishya's fist tightened and for a second, she stopped and stood there with her hands clenched. When she turned to face them, her expression was one of heartbreaking anguish, "my mother and brother was separated from us when he declared that he was going to pick and choose who would get to live in the Inner City and who would be kicked out." She inhaled and stiffly turned her head away, "we didn't have a choice, he'd already overthrown the previous ruler and had a lot of Brahmins who supported him." Her slender body was practically shaking as she walked on, "he wanted to divide who he thought would be of use to him and who were worthless. My dad has heart problems and I…" her mouth clamped shut for a second, "we were immediately kicked out." Nami felt her heart twist in sympathy as she watched the pubescent teenager shoulder the visible burden on her back. It was clear although she was young; she was forced to take on the role of the responsible parent.

It wasn't too farfetched to say that the Vaishya's dilemma wasn't anymore different than hers when she was younger.

When they reached the hole, a loud curse boomed from below along with another string of profanities bursting from down below. Nami's heart pounded and her clenched hands loosened as the familiar baritone reached her ears. Sanji stopped at the edge and bent forward to look down,

"Mosshead? Is that you?" There was a pause and a mutter of "why him" sounded before the gruff rasp of the swordsman's voice echoed back,

"Get us out of here flame brows! We're stuck down here and I've got an unconscious surgeon hanging on my back!" The cook snorted and smirked,

"Let me guess, you lost your way again and ended up falling in this hole didn't you?" a bellow that promised vengeance along with some choice words regarding his nosebleed and a few other things was Zoro's angry retort. The Vaishya frowned, confused,

"How did they get in here in the first place? It is impossible for anyone to get past the barrier without killing themselves." She reached down to pull up a camouflaged ladder fashioned from strong ropes, "there are ladders on every side of the hole just grab one and began to lower herself down,

"Hold onto tight to me Nami-swan," The navigator readjusted her grip onto her crewmate's shoulders as Sanji tossed the ladder down and carefully descended to the bottom. The walls, to her surprise, weren't fashioned from stone or any kind of material used to build foundations. When she reached out to touch, she pulled back in astonishment, the materials were-

"Wooden walls?" her voice resounded over the telltale rumble of what could only be water down below. She shivered and held on as wind buffeted her hair sending it into a whirlwind,

"Yes, the entrance to the Inner City is through the trunk of a Sequoia. We need to go underwater in order to reach it,

**"UNDERWATER?"** Brook's panicked tremble had the musician freeze up mid descent,

"I'll carry you Brook," Usopp's reassurance seem to pacify him, but barely. Nami tried to peer through the dim lighting as the sound of waves crashing against the walls grew louder,

"Nami, I need you to wrap your legs around my hip, I can't climb down properly if you don't." The woman hesitated, before she gave him a tight nod and gingerly changed her grip to his hips. Her calves shifted forward, bringing her pelvic against the small of his back and her long legs crossed together.

As they got closer, her eyes caught Zoro's emerald hair and when he tilted his head up, those dark eyes collided with hers and the navigator swallowed when his gaze shifted from her face to her legs wrapped around the cook's body. His mouth twisted down into a silent snarl and for a brief second, a flash of nothing but pure, unadulterated rage crossed over his face. The sentiment quickly passed and his expression smoothened over, but the visible stretch of skin over jaw and the way he kept that heavy gaze fixated onto her had her body reflexively stiffening.

However, she wasn't reacting to the man in arousal of his dominant anger.

Dread pierced her heart as realization washed over her and Nami trembled; she wasn't aroused by his anger.

She was incredibly and irrevocably: afraid.

* * *

**Thank you for reading! I'll do my best to be quicker with updates! **


	26. Chapter 26 Rotten

**Rotten**

**A/N: I'm beginning to make an effort to try to do at least 3k words (roughly 7 pages) or more per chapter to give you guys enough content to leave you satisfied at the length yet unsatisfied by the time you've reached the end of the chapter. Everyday I try to write a bit (maybe a few paragraphs) and then take a break to brainstorm - all of this is in my head - for more content to put in. Yes as you all should very well know by now...i'm incredibly slow with my updates because of this goal. Nevertheless, thank you for patiently waiting! (Not that you have much of a choice haha).**

**I do not own One Piece. The concept belongs to Hanzatsu-Hime**

**jolphuong: I'm really happy to hear that! Brings a smile to my face when i imagine a reader doing that haha. The answer to your question will be explained in this chapter though it shouldn't be too hard to guess why and how ;).**

**Thank you for reading!**

* * *

Reason and rationality pleaded with him that she was still in the process of recovery and that the cook was nothing more than a supportive crutch. Impulse and instinct ranted and raved against the mental bars he'd immediately thrown up that he had every right to rip the chef's body from his navigator. For a moment, Zoro battled against a stygian wave of adrenaline that tore into his body and gleefully fanned the embers of his aching pride. Zoro's bandaged thigh protested when he braced himself against the side of the wooden walls, nearly staggering under the overwhelming charge. His ribs gave a twinge of pain and the lesions strewn along his body stung as the man pressed his forehead to the timber and struggled to bring his temper down to his usual laidback nature.

Anger management: something he was relatively proficient at unlike a certain blonde who could be compared to a rapidly ticking time bomb.

This time, however, he didn't think he could successfully regain his composure without outright lying to himself. Zoro shook his head; who was he trying to kid? One look at her clinging to the cook and his own version of a powder keg threatened to blow.

It was only Law's groan that shook him from his haze when Zoro realized that he was squeezing the surgeon in a crushing grip. He quickly loosened his fingers and the man sagged back onto his shoulder

It wasn't until they landed headfirst into the water when Law, after a set of flailing and splashing around, promptly lost his strength and sank into the water. The swordsman instantly dove after him and hefted the man onto his back before swimming around the expanse of the pool, looking for an exit. When he found none, his frustration got to him to the point that he released enough colorful phrases to have hundreds of bars of soap shoved in his mouth.

They had been in the water for too long, the devil fruit user had only been able to keep his eyes open for so long before the water sapped the power from his limbs and he left Zoro to support his deadweight till help arrived. Does staying in water leave devilfruit users unconscious? From all the times Zoro had rescued his water-phobic nakamas, he couldn't remember a time when they fainted from overstaying.

"The cavalry is here!" Zoro rolled his eyes as Sanji cautiously lowered his body into the water, doing his damnedest to avoid the navigator's searching eyes and worked furiously to keep his expression as deadpanned as possible,

"About time you got here," he snapped. Sanji's blistering glare seared hot pokers into his back as Zoro turned to the person he assume to be their guide,

"I'm guessing you're here to help us. Where do we go next?" he jerked his chin at Law, "We need to get somewhere dry before this guy slips into a coma." He didn't take any notice of the girl's prolonged stare before she shook her head and pointed down,

"The Inner City is underwater." A frantic Brook thrashed and wailed about his dying soul for some time before he quieted down and collapsed against Usopp who was doing his best to hold the poor skeleton afloat.

"Is there any other way to reach it without having to dive down? I don't think Nami's wounds can take the pressure, she could risk an infection if she stays in the water too long." The girl brushed water from her eyes and shook her head again,

"This is the only way to get there." She cast a critical eye over the navigator, "it's not that deep, we can make it before something happens." There wasn't any other option than to dive.

"Let's get this over with then." Pride and the firm denial of a pricked ego kept him from meeting her eyes as Zoro adjusted Law over his shoulder, sucked in a large gulp of air, and dove in. he kicked hard, keeping an unyielding hold on the man as he swam behind Sanji with Usopp in tow.

The second water closed over his ears, the world and the noise around him became a blur as the air was swallowed him whole leaving him in a biosphere of muffled quietness. The only problem with this kind of watery silence was that it left him to his unbridled thoughts as he kicked his legs out harder, never taking his eyes off their guide. As his burning eyes peered into the clear liquid, a pair of hazelnut orbs met his. Their gaze locked and a worrying thought suddenly hit him.

Where did they stand now?

Nami's arms were wrapped tightly around Sanji's shoulders and her mouth was clamped shut, but her eyes were wide open staring directly at him.

_Whenever he'd approach the steps to the ship, she'd turn around to greet him upon his return and he'd catch the welcoming glimmer along with the teasing sparkle hidden behind a fond smile. The way she'd confidently tilt her chin up to meet him in the eye and the cheeky look she'd give him drew that infamous shark smile from his own face. _

_A snarky comment would then be aimed at him, usually something along the lines of the number of people he needed to ask, for directions to find where the Sunny docked. The playful jab would earn a light nip on her bottom lip and a warning tap on her ass before he backed off and headed up to the Sunny's lookout. _

It was then when Zoro realized that those tongue-in-cheek bantering were grinding to a halt. They would never be able to comfortably return to the days when he would be able to have an easy conversation with her along with an unhealthy number of drinks to go with those talks The fragile and haunted - and dare he say fearful – vise she now wore marked a milestone to an end he refused to acknowledge.

_He'd thrown that possessive, Neanderthal weight around before during their travels. Usually, her response would be an annoyed eye roll and a sound smack to the back of the head. Sometimes she'd indulge his unusual behavior and humor him by making herself comfortable on his lap or she'd make the skin to skin contact as frequent as possible to keep his temper in check. There was also that one incident in Alabasta when he yanked her into a closet the night after their bath and proceeded to reprimand her for exposing her body. She returned the favor with equal fervor._

She was bold and she was confident in her own skin. She was an unrestrained and unbridled storm that blasted him and turned him inside out. Where many women would have shrank under his glare and turned their nose at his unruly mannerisms, the navigator had thrown everything back at his face and worked her way under his skin with her irritating nagging concerning money and egged him on till he bent to do her bidding.

But this fear, this reaction was something she _never _showed toward him. He hated it. He hated it with every fiber of his being. Although she did her best to hide it when their eyes first met, if he wasn't so tuned to her body language, he'd miss the quick flash of that despised emotion. She should never, _ever _have a reason to fear him. It made his stomach twist and something ugly dig its claws into his heart. It was a wretched sentiment he'd be more than happy to live without.

And he had no idea how on earth was he going to fix it.

* * *

The Vaishya gestured toward one of the biggest bubbles Sanji had ever seen. He was close to running out of air and from the way Nami dug her nails into his shoulder, she wasn't too far either. He watched as the Vaishya lifted her gloved hand and pressed it against a clear-cut, circular opening. Immediately, the cook felt his body pull forward as he dove straight after the Vaishya and for a split second, gravity sent him in a death spiral before the blonde plunged into something elastic and rubbery. Sanji grunted when he felt Nami's body slam down against his, her alarmed cry mingling in the air and the cook felt his chest swell and his pupils dilate when something warm and soft and weighty press against his stomach.

Could it be? Sanji didn't dare let his wild imagination spin him into oblivion as the chef instantly slapped himself hard in the face. He shot Nami a reassuring smile and inwardly berated himself as he unsteadily clambered onto his feet, pulling her up with him as gently as possible. She wobbled on her feet and Sanji rushed to steady her only to flinch back when she stiffened in his grasp.

"S-sorry," He quickly stepped back to give her room. It took everything to squash the chivalrous side of him so he wouldn't reach out and steady the navigator when another body landed down beside them and they were launched forward. Sanji scowled at the swordsman as Zoro pressed his palms against the surgeon's chest and pumped. The man choked and spat out copious amounts of water before he slumped to the side heaving,

"Did...we die?" Law rasped and Zoro thumped his back hard,

"No, we made it." The man let out a groan and slumped to the side before he made an effort to sit up, "where are…we?" he hacked again and Sanji reached for his box of cigarettes only to pull out a dripping wad from his pocket. With a sigh of disappointment, he tucked the box back into his pants and turned to accept the towel handed to him. Zoro squatted beside Law and patted his back,

"Are you still breathing doctor?" the surgeon gasped for air before he rubbed the beginnings of a bruise on his temple and narrowed his eyes up at the swordsman,

"You kicked me into the wall." He spat and his hand reached back for his sword strapped behind him. Zoro frowned,

"When did I do that?" Law scowled at him,

"We were falling and your flapping foot..." He stopped looking puzzled at himself for a second before he closed his mouth and shook his head, "nevermind." He muttered. Sanji glanced at the Vaishya stepping off what was an oversize trampoline and headed toward the hallway,

"Where are we going?" She gestured in front of her,

"There are two entrances to the Inner City. Both of them are though water. We've entered through the visitor's route so it shouldn't take us too long to get to the front doors."

"What's the other route?" Usopp snorted water from his nose and helped Brook to his feet as the skeleton stood there wringing water out of his coat,

"The other opening is for the Kshatriya and the other upper class citizens." Her mouth made a bitter twist as she grimaced, "there's another method to enter here that's made just for visitors like us." There was no Kshatriya standing guard during the short walk down the empty hallway. When they reached the end of the path, three dinghies tied down by ropes floated at the cusp of the harbor. "Watch where you step, there should be paddles stored inside the dinghy." It went against Sanji's code of honor to watch his crewmate struggle to balance herself as she gingerly picked her way to a seat. He quickly took the bench across from her and motioned for Brook and Usopp to grab a paddle while Zoro and the waterlogged surgeon and the Vaishya secured the other.

It was when they paddled past a large boulder jutting out of the waves when they saw the Inner City. Eyes popped, breaths released in an astounding whoosh as the Strawhats took in the sight with mouths parted. Sanji dug harder into the water and paddled faster. While a portion of his mind kept a worrying eye on the silent navigator, the other part of his brain was spinning tales of elegant women dressed in shimmering gowns, their voluptuous bodies sensuously swaying as they wove their way toward him. When he couldn't help but voice his thoughts out loud, Usopp shook his head and clucked his tongue at him before he doubled his own pace.

They docked at the edge of the shore half a mile away from the large gates. Sanji was itching to get a foot beyond the door; the fantastical promises his vivid imagination promised him had him impatiently tapping a foot on the ground. Half an hour later, they were standing a few feet from the small group of Kshatriya who immediately crossed their weapons, barring their way in,

"State your business." It didn't take long for them to recognize their unusual attire and the foreign skin tones because they tightened the grip on their armaments and narrowed their eyes in suspicion.

"I have come to visit my mother, a Brahmin dwelling in the Inner City." The Vaishya twisted to the side and rolled up the cuff of her sleeve to display a symbolic tattoo inscribed with her name, rank and family. After a brief inspection, the man in front nodded but directed his frown to the Strawhats,

"You know as well as I do that these aliens do not belong-" before he could finish his sentence, Brook took action. The musician tucked the violin beneath his chin and proceeded to strum a hypnotizing lullaby that had them slumping to their knees. It was a woefully short stroll from his place to the end of the closed door to draw the final hauntingly beautiful note to end his melodic piece. By the time the tips of his loafer touched the bottom edge of the engraved doors, snores filled the empty silence. Sanji wasn't surprised; after all, the musician was a magician of all things pertaining to the performing arts.

"That was easy." Usopp step-sided a flopped over Kshatriya and with Brook's help, pushed open one of the doors.

They certainly didn't expect a squadron of warriors positioned over the other side with their muzzles clicking together in tandem.

Sanji immediately shifted to the side to slide in front of Nami only to bump into Zoro's shoulder. He turned to glower at the swordsman and stopped, mid-scowl when he caught the slight lift of the man's upper lip over clenched teeth and the whoosh of breath racing into his lungs as the man loosened his hold on his unsheathe swords.

**"FIRE!"**

* * *

The reindeer's head was a cankerous mixture of pounding hammers and rattling bones as his head lolled to the side and he struggled to put his tongue back in his mouth. It was only when the room finally stopped spinning and the tingling around his body became more bearable when Chopper was able to lift his head.

The first thing he saw when he came to was the large head of a buck mounted up on a wall above a massive fireplace.

You can imagine all the morbid thoughts running through the poor reindeer's head right now.

Of course, along with the loud shriek of fear that accompanied his vivid imagination that brought their captors running headlong to the cell where they were contained.

"I don't want to be a decoration!" Chopper blubbered as large tears spilled from his eyes and slipped down his furry cheeks. The young man looked confused for a second,

"Decoration?" he turned a bewildered head to look up at the animal ornament before he snorted and coughed into his fist, "Well…I don't think the Bartender wants to hang your head on top of his mantle…at least not yet." He hid his expression behind a wealth of fluffy blonde hair as Chopper's eyes bulged and he began to thrash,

**"H-HEEEELLLLPPP!"** His panicked wail woke the cyborg from his slumber and he shot to his feet, wildly looking around,

"What! What!" he spun around and groaned when his legs gave way and he collapsed. Exhaustion sank into the doctor's bones and his vision wavered as he pressed his head to the ground,

"Seastone cuffs," he gasped and wiggled his wrists as Franky let out a bellow when he discovered that his arms have been encased with an unbreakable metal that locked his upper arms together. He was even more infuriated when he saw that the large balls on his shoulders were rubbing together from his bent position,

"Don't cuff my elbows! You'll scrape the paint off my shoulders!" he griped as he wrestled with his own restraints. Not too far from Chopper, Robin mumbled something unintelligible and groaned as she opened her eyes and sat up only to sag against the wall,

"Are you alright?" her eyes darted to the man on the other side of the cell and she sat up straighter,

"Your bartender worked for Dragon before didn't he?" when the boy's eyes widened, she gave him a small smile, "tell him my name is Nico Robin and my partner was Amos," he should know who I am by name alone." Her knowing smile didn't waver even when the lad gulped and nodded before turning on his heel.

"How do you know the bartender Robin?" Chopper turned his head to look at the historian who had rested her head against the wall. Her lips thinned in thought,

"I don't. I never saw him when I worked under the Revolutionary. I've heard rumors and tales about him sometimes when I when I visited the headquarters. I recognized the insignia of the Dragon's tail he had around his wrist. All of Dragon's personal assistants have the symbol inked on their skin." Robin released a breath,

"According to the rumor, he disappeared for ten years while he was in service." She inspected the thick metal around her slender wrists, "I never expected to see him in Nishima though." Robin turned her head to look at her captain collapsed on the floor, "how long has he been sleeping?" Franky grunted and rolled over enough to extend a leg and gave the Strawhat a hard kick to the head. The man kneeled over, his sleepy words muffled by the stone floor and the shipwright nudged him again,

"Wake up Luffy!" There was another mumble and the captain's eyes blinked open,

"Gimme some more Bartender," his jaw split open in a massive yawn and he reached up to rub his sleep covered eyes when- "my arms!" he immediately made an effort to get up and his body thumped back down, "they cuffed me!"

"Us too Luffy." Chopper showed his captain his arms,

"I could try to blast my way out. My hands are free." Franky angled his hands to face the flat of his palms at the cell bars, "ya might want to move aside Robin." Just as he prepared to fire, footsteps echoed just beyond the steel barrier,

"The devil's child. I should've known the moment you sat down." The bartender rubbed his left wrist as he faced the historian, "It's been awhile since I heard someone mention Dragon's name." he surveyed the chained occupants with a calculating eye, "I'll release you all under one condition." Luffy halted and turned his head to listen,

"I'll release all of you if you and your crew aid the Insurgence and assassinate and overthrow the Monarch."

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**Thank you for reading!**


	27. Chapter 27 Recession

**Recession**

**Writing this chapter has emotionally drained me. It's been one of the few times i shed a tear while writing.**

**I don't own One Piece, the concept goes the Hanzatsu-Hime.**

**Before I begin thanking you wonderful people who took the time to review, i want to give a shout out to Hanzatsu-Hime for introducing me to her tumblr called ZoNa Week 2k16. If you guys haven't checked that out, i'll leave a link below! If Hanzatsu-Hime doesn't mind, i'm going to pull directly from what she told me,**

I have started a Zoro x Nami Week event on tumblr (though we are trying to reach all ZoNa communities online) and are currently collecting theme suggestions for the days! It goes from July 11th to the 17th, but we are taking theme suggestions right now, then we will host a poll where people can vote for the top seven (or so) to finalize the winners.

**zonamievents . tumblr . com (Please remove the spaces)**

**I think it's an incredible idea! If you have the time and are interested, check it out! **

**Another thing i want to do is give a HUGE SHOUTOUT to ** _jessjulieeeee _**for enjoying my fanfic enough to recommend it to the website! Thank you so much! You have no idea how honored i am :)**

**Now, onto thanking my wonderful reviewers ^^**

**Guest: Usopp would need to be moving quite frantically in order to keep up with Zoro's face haha, i hope you enjoyed the flashbacks!**

**Jen: OTP is BACK!**

**jolphuong: I hope you got the message I sent you but if you didnt, yes they're affair dates back to Alabasta. im sorry if you're confused but I promise I'll clear everything up and connect the missing links as the story progresses and you get a chance to see their relationship through the Strawhat's eyes. But yes Sanji is ultimately the last person -aside from luffy- to realize this.**

**Mistress 0f Dragons: I want to thank you first for taking the time and effort to review nearly every single one of the chapters i have out so far :) I also have never gotten so many in one sitting and i want to answer all of them even if they're not questions so here i go!**

**(3) Yes, yes Zoro is complete shit when it comes to directions, i did warn you guys that i would multiply his cluelessness right? (4) I had a friend who was also a late bloomer and she didn't get hers till she was roughly eighteen or nineteen. (8) I remember smiling really hard as i was writing this scene, i wanted to see how they would react if the Sunny flew like E.T. (12) I don't think i ever placed Robin to fight Serg, instead, i wanted her to fight against Ambrose who she supposedly had a connection to two years ago. Zoro deserves this fight against Serg. O_O (13) I pmed you about this and i'm not sure if you received it or not but yea, it's just a preference, i don't usually curse outside of the writing sphere. And thank you for catching my mistake! (14) Lols Bartolomeo, if you look at his personality, kind of represents us: we're all perverts and fanboys/girls of the Strawhats (15) Unfortunately, he gets to live another day. Sorry about that. (16) yes we can, i give you full permission. (17) Thank you! I do try to put as much thought as i can every time i write another chapter. Even if i can't update as quickly as others, i do try to make it up with the content. (18) DID WE ACTUALLY HIT 50? *sobs* thank you for being that person! I will make it a personal goal to get Usopp's name right from now on! (19) Robin...is a total sadistic badass. nuff said about her greatness. (20) You're not the only one who likes to see him suffer *wink wink* although i don't think that moment is the right time to see him breakdown. I haven't had to the chance to bring that side of him out yet but one way or another, i will. (22) Shoot, did i make another grammar mistake? *flips back chapters to check* shit i did. Thank you! And puce is a word to describe a pinkish reddish color. (24) I never thought i'd be the one to put them working together but i did! I pity Law though. (25) Luffy...always causing trouble wherever he goes, he's my source of entertainment haha. (26) i've never had soap in my mouth ever. what does It taste like? **

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Law didn't hesitate to smash the fallen head he saw on the ground right next to a headless statue directly into the first Kshatriya he came in contact with. He didn't bother to consider why there were so many armed citizens gunning for their head as the surgeon jabbed and twisted his wrists in quick motions that threw torsos in the air and materialized his body into another area just as razor-edged blades swung his way.

He also didn't quite understand why he put so much effort into working with this particular crew as Law gripped his sword and deftly swiped his arm down splitting the paved stones before him apart, rocking the ground and pushing people off balance.

"Law! Get us out of here!" the surgeon glanced over to see the cook nimbly leaping off from the top of people's heads with the navigator secured on his back to reach him. Trafalgar gestured to the clamor of men running after him,

"They're in the way." He stretched his arm out to feel that familiar rush of power emerge from his palm and the space around him bulged and expanded, "up go you cook-ya." With his other hand, the man tilted his finger up toward the sky and the blonde let out a startled shout as his body levitated up in the air and out of the circle's range. "Shambles." The cries of surprise never cease to bring a smirk to his face as Law lazily twirled the flying bodies around and with another languid flick of his hand, toss them all to the side. They toppled and rolled like abandoned toys as he strolled down the now cleared and slightly cracked path before him.

"This way!" Law turned his head to follow the Kshatriya's voice and he increased his pace to a fast walk, pausing to deflect another row of bullets shot toward his head. It didn't take him long to catch up with the rest and he ducked in time to dodge a throwaway stone only to have it smack the back of Usopp's head. The sniper yelped and covered his head with both hands and hunched over as he ran.

The girl was surprisingly nimble as she took them through a series of twists and turns only to quickly scrabble over a wall, dash into an enclosed space and duck beneath an arching balcony some fifteen feet high,

"We're…at my mother's…house." She sucked in a lungful of air, straightened up and began searching the ground,

"What are you looking for?" Usopp bent down to inspect the paved road,

"Pebbles. She won't answer to anything hitting her door unless they're pebbles." In a few seconds, her small hands secured three unshapely stones in her hands. With a spin and flick of her wrist and thumb that spoke of the multitude of times she practiced this motion, the first one smacked the upper left corner of the glass door with a resounding clank. Another well placed aim and the second bounced off the opposite corner only for the third to follow just as quickly as it recoiled off the top middle of the door.

There was a loud pounding of feet before the handle twisted and the door blew open, revealing a young boy no older than nine rushing out onto the elevated support, his dark, wavy hair brushed over a pair of ash gray eyes and he balanced on the tips of his feet to peer excitedly down at her,

"Sister!" his mouth opened wider to shout a greeting when a hand clamped down over his mouth and the boy was quickly yanked back from the edge. Eyes that had seen too many sorrows peered down at the small group. Tense, ashen orbs darted around their faces and she visibly relaxed when they landed on her daughter.

"They're here to trade." She said. Her mother didn't look convinced, but she disappeared into the room to come back with a folded ladder. She hooked the contraception onto the edge of the rail and let the rungs drop to the ground,

"One at a time." Her voice was a soft rasp and the Vaishya began to quickly scale up the ladder. When she gestured for the cook to go next, Sanji shook his head,

"I can make it if I jump." He turned his neck to look at the navigator clutched around his neck, "hold on Nami-san." The man crouched for a moment before his powerful legs released the coiled tension and he sprang up with the grace of a cat and landed onto the other side with ease. Behind him, Brook let out a whoop and kept a firm grip on his top hat as he sailed into the open door after him. Beside Law, Zoro let out a noncommittal grunt and in a split second, had a hand wrapped around the balcony rails before he hefted himself over with a swift push of his arm,

"Bunch of show offs," Usopp muttered and he grabbed onto one of the rungs and began to climb. For a minute, Law was struck with an uncanny thought: should he use his abilities and switch himself up to the top or stick to the more sensible method and climb? Something akin to impatience hit him: watching the way the Strawhats effortlessly wall jumped, they made it seem sort of…fun.

Fun? Another emotion stuck Trafalgar after the teetering thought left him: embarrassment. It was pure stupidity for him to use his ability. Who was he trying to show off to? What was he even thinking? The surgeon blinked, squashing the sentiment. Not a twitch of his peculiar thought was revealed in his flack expression. With a putout sigh, the surgeon clasped the third rung with one hand, his body flexed and the rush of physical strength raced through his arm before he swung himself up and over the rail, his long legs barely brushed above the granite and he was striding into the room with everyone else.

They were standing in a loose circle around what was the master bedroom, the female Brahmin had her hand in a secure clasp over her daughter's and her other hand caressed the top of the boy's head,

"How many times have you visited the city this month?" worry layered the Brahmin's tone as the woman stared expectantly at her daughter. The Vaishya met her mother's eyes,

"This is my first time in six months mother." Pain flitted over the Brahmin's gray orbs and she released a sigh before turning to them,

"And who are they?" Law ran his eyes over the Brahmin; long hair pulled back and piled over her head, thin lips, a face masked with concealment, and an equally petite body covered by a bottled green robe. She was nothing significant, quite ordinary actually. She looked much like a mother would albeit slightly haggard. But Law would be a fool to discount the way her searching gaze settled on each and every one of them in the room.

It was when those inspecting orbs reached him when something so faint he nearly missed it lightly brushed the mental walls of his mind. Law was a surgeon and a doctor, but he had once out of curiosity, dabbled a bit with telepathy. With the efficiency of a surgeon performing a critical operation, he reached back with his mind and promptly slammed the guillotine down, cutting off the intrusive probe.

She had been gathering information.

There was no mistake the flicker of surprise that swept over her tight expression and Law sent her a taunting smile. The Brahmin wasn't going to get the best of him, not when Law had picked up enough of the technique to counter her.

"They're from outside of Nishima." The Vaishya jerked her head at them, "they came here hoping to trade with us but when they couldn't find anything, they asked us if they could enter the Inner City." Her eyes clouded over and her breath quickened as she continued, "The Kshatriya came this for this month's tithe." She bowed her head, "One of the foreigners ate the offering Dad made and he couldn't make more in time." The Brahmin's nostrils flared and she swung her head to send them all a blistering glare.

"Did they take him in?" her voice shot up, increasingly sharp and high pitched and the woman leaned forward to give her daughter her full attention, "Faith Vaishya answer me." The girl hastily shook her head and the Brahmin settled down,

"They took the other half of foreigners."

"There are more of them?" something passed over the Brahmin and Law tilted his head to the side, catching the slightly alarmed note in her tone. She immediately composed herself once again and nudged the little boy forward,

"Where are my manners, introduce yourself Kahn." The young lad threw his shoulders back and puffed up his chest and stepped forward, his eyes shining as he thumped a little fist to his chest,

"I'm Kahn! I'm nine years old and I'm gonna be the captain of the Kshatriya one day!" Law raised a condescending brow and saw the Vaishya shoot her mother a frown. Usopp crouched down to the boy's level and rubbed a finger under his nose,

"Are you?" the shooter looked a bit skeptic and Khan raised his round chin up,

"Of course I am!" the kid retorted indignantly and the sniper chuckled and gave him a good-natured pat on the shoulder, "Once I get mom to enroll me into the academy, all I need is to pass the-"

"You all must be starving, please follow me to the kitchen table. I was cooking dinner before you arrived." The interruption went unnoticed but none of them mentioned it. Sanji's visible brow furrowed,

"How are you still able tell time when your city is underwater?" The Brahmin indicated with a tilt of her head to the large clock nail onto the wall above the stove,

"Time is always relevant even if we don't have the light of the sun and the night of the moon to tell us."

"Oh my! I didn't expect it to be so late already!" Brook tittered and the surgeon looked up at the clock, the short hand angling toward the number eight. As if to further prove the length of their stay, the dim lights in the kitchenette suddenly jumped to life, brightening up the entire room.

"The lights shut off when it's morning. We dim the artificial lights we created and save the energy so it can be utilized at night." The Brahmin's lips twisted up in a wry smile, "everything in this city comes to life once night arrives." She guided them past an island and led them to a decorated, wooden surface surrounded by gnarled chairs, "Kahn, please set the table." The boy hurriedly scurried away toward the countertops sandwiched on either side of the stove.

"Allow me to help you madam." Sanji was on his feet, helping Kahn carry sets of bowls and napkins and utensils to the table. With Usopp and Brook's assistance and some shuffling, each person settled in with a plate and napkin in front of them.

It didn't take long till the smell of their meal reached their noses and Law felt his appetite perk up in response.

"It's not common to see so many people moving around the Inner City in the morning. I'd say your friends must have done something to cause such a ruckus." The Vaishya pointed her spoon at Zoro and the man shrugged his broad shoulders,

"Can't say I remember a time when we didn't cause trouble wherever we went." Usopp nodded,

"I remember not so long ago I, the Great Sniper, blasted apart a monstrous creature with fangs like you've never seen before." Kahn leaned forward and fixed his eyes onto the man,

"Really?" he asked excitedly, "what happened?" Usopp sniffed and gave the boy a mischievous wink,

"Well since you asked, let me tell you, I was running…"Law knew enough about the sniper's personality to roll his eyes and rested his head on the back of his chair to stare up at the ceiling and began compartmentalizing.

* * *

The musician took another sip of his tea and turned his head to thank the Brahmin who set a steaming bowl of broth before him. Beside him, Sanji faced the Vaishya,

"So your name is Faith? I thought the Vaishya didn't have names." The girl's eyes twinkled and she grinned sheepishly,

"My mom thought I'd be able to live in the Inner City with her and train to become a Brahmin like her so she gave me a name when I was born." Her light composure vanished and she looked up,

"Mom, I have a question." Faith faced the Brahmin her tone serious, "what do you know about the Insurgence?" The hand on the ladle trembled,

"The what?" her voice was deceptively smooth and she resumed to pouring another large spoonful into Brook's bowl.

"Mother." The Vaishya glowered at her mother, her body stiff, "I've heard some things about them. I heard that they plan to overthrow the Monarch." Her voice hardened, "you hate the Monarch remember? You told me that the Monarch blackmailed you into staying in the Inner City and work under him." She turned to the Strawhats, "I came here because I planned on joining the Insurgence and help them take him down." Faith's lips flattened in a thin line, "I was hoping you guys would come with me and help them too, the more people they have, the better."

**"FAITH!"** The Brahmin's voice cracked like a whip and she set the large pot down with a thump, "never speak against the Monarch! You could get yourself killed!"

"I'm sick of living in the Outer City! I want a better life for everyone living in the slums!" The Vaishya shoved to her feet, her voice thick with tears, "I know dad isn't telling me that he's losing his hearing. I know there might be something wrong with me, but we don't deserve this!" her fists clenched and she forced out a humorless laugh "did you know that dad is always smiling? Every night, I see him sleep with a picture of you beside his pillow. Did you know every night before I go to sleep; he tells me how much he loves me? He tells me that he could live anywhere if he was able to live with his family." She dug into her pocket and pulled out the glove she used to breach the barrier and shoved the back of it to her mother,

"They give us five days each month to visit the Inner City. Dad wanted us to use this glove only when we needed to trade for materials." the tears fell faster until she was trembling while she spoke, "He's been saving this glove for 10 years mom!" a sob wretched from her throat and Brook inhaled in shock from the revelation: 10 years of saving that glove, that meant,

"There are 478 days in this glove mom. Dad wanted to save this glove until we had enough days so we could spend as much time as we could with you." The Vaishya was speaking through a river of tears and her slim shoulders shook, "I want to be able to eat what I want, I want to be able to walk around without being watched, I miss talking to Glory and Vin and I…" her voice cracked and she hung her head, "I miss my mom." Brook felt the area where his heart should be tightened and suddenly, he was struggling to hold back tears himself.

She was only fifteen years old, yet she carried such a heavy burden on her shoulders. An all-consuming anger toward the dictator burned in his bones and Brook saw the same furious expression mirrored on his companions.

They had all lost something precious to them. They had all gone through the same gut-wrenching pain of being ripped away from a loved one. This feeling wasn't something new.

The Vaishya's eyes glittered with a fiery mixture of agony and rage,

"I want vengeance and justice mother, if I'm not going to do it for our family, then I'm going to do it for dad and all the people living in the Outer City." The Brahmin's face paled and she dropped her ladle to the ground with a loud clatter as Faith's voice rose above the noise, "and I'm going to do it whether you like it or not."

* * *

_"__The b*tch ain't screaming. I thought you told me she looked like a screamer." Pain unlike any other slammed hard and sharp as a foreign thickness breached her body. Her stomach cramped in pain and all of a sudden, she was alone, alone with the horrid voices. _

_Everywhere she turned, the heavy grunts and moans accompanied her till she was tearing chunks of her hair out, her mouth parted wide open as an ear splitting scream tore through her lungs. _

_Outside in the sight of others, she gritted her teeth and held on, battling for dear life._

_Inside? Inside, she screamed and screamed and screamed in pain and fear. _

_Her cuticles were stained with streaks of blood; her scratched throat was in an even worse state. She'd claw madly at her neck, futilely trying to stop the cries from tumbling out of her mouth._

_She'd beat her fists and tore at her hair in an effort to stifle the memories. She scrabbled at her arms to get rid of their touch._

_She screamed and screamed and screamed till she choked and spat out clots of blood._

_"__Scream louder you useless b*tch!" Nami moaned in horror and felt her entire body and soul shatter and collapse. _

_Where were they when she needed them? They had__** PROMISED**__ that they would be there! They said they would be-_

**_"_****_No."_**_her deceiving mind whispered scathingly, __**"they're all empty promises." **_

_She was alone._

**_"_****_You're alone."_**

_Alone, alone, so very, very __**ALONE.**_

_This wasn't a physical being she could unleash her rage on. Even if she wrecked her body and took it out on herself, she couldn't block out the fresh wave of-_

The thick pillow muffled the desperate cry that ripped her from her nightmare. The merciful respite was only short lived when her wounds reminded her of her ordeal. With a stifled groan, the navigator pushed her aching body up to a sitting position on the bed. Because of the Brahmin's status, the woman was given one of the more lavish homes in the Inner City. Including Faith's mother, there were a total of eight high ranking Brahmins living in the Inner City. Nami had been able to secure her own room with everyone else pairing up with each other.

Sweat dripped down her temples and Nami heaved out a sigh before slowly getting out of her bed. She'd pushed her body far too much after only a few days of rest before they reached Nishima.

Perhaps a breath of air outside would do her good. With that in mind, Nami wrapped a comforter around her shoulders and carefully made her way to the Brahmin's front doors. Like the cat burglar she was, the navigator meticulously picked her way out the door and stood on the front porch and inhaled. The air was clean, sweet and fresh and although she had no idea how it was possible since they were underwater, she didn't want to think too hard about it.

Footsteps alerted her of someone's presence and Nami pressed against the pillar, hoping to hide her presence since they weren't exactly welcomed with open arms.

She wasn't so successful,

"I can see you hiding you know." The woman's voice had a teasing lilt to it and the navigator poked her head out to look at a female standing not far from where she stood. The woman held up her hands in a gesture of surrender, "you can come out; I'm not going to tell anyone. The Inner City doesn't have many visitors so I enjoy talking to travelers whenever I get the chance." Nami tentatively stepped out from behind the pillar,

"Sorry, I only came out for some fresh air, I couldn't sleep." The woman smiled at her sympathetically,

"I know what you mean, sometimes your thoughts keep you from closing your eyes." She twisted her body to look at the house behind her, "so the Seventh Seat Brahmin is housing you eh? Not bad." She faced the navigator, her chocolate eyes penetrating, "if you don't mind me asking, I'd like to know what's troubling you, maybe I can be of some help." Her lips curved upward, "I heard that talking about your problems usually help." Nami's mind instantly shouted a warning to her along with a sudden longing to spill her thoughts that were becoming more difficult to hold back,

"I…I've recently experienced a…situation that left me traumatized." Nami swallowed and worked her jaw, "I'm worried that it might affect my relationship with…someone important to me." The memory of Zoro casting his eyes away from her earlier that day made her chest hurt and Nami inhaled, "maybe it already has." Understanding flashed in the woman's eyes and she slide closer,

"I see, I think I know where you're getting at." Her lovely mouth turned downward and her slim brows drew toward each other, "I've gone through something that perhaps may be similar to yours and let me tell you a lesson I learned after that; we're too broken to be put back together." Her eyes grew hooded and she stared at the navigator with eyes that spoke of countless of nights of pain and sorrow. "I found out that men don't want to play with toys once they're broken. They like women who are well put together sweetie, they prefer someone who won't cry and scream and flinch every time they try to touch them. They don't want the burden of helping the person they claim that they love. They want the girl from the past before they got hurt." She released a mirthless chuckle, "they know that they won't be getting that person back." The woman reached out to gently wrap her arms around Nami's numb body as the navigator felt her heart turn to ice,

"He wouldn't do that." Her voice was hollow and her tone, uncertain as the words slipped from her lips. The woman nodded and offered her a sad smile,

"Perhaps you're right. Your story might turn out better than mine. Anything is better than my ending." She laughed bitterly, "after all, only fools like me fall." The woman stepped back and inclined her head at her, "I hope that you find peace with you and your man. I wish I could give you a more forgiving advice." Her smile was sympathetically brittle, "but based on my own experience and decisions, it is better to leave the whole alone and intact than drag them with you to misery. Good night." She gave the house behind Nami another appreciative glance and patted her cheek before continuing her way down the silent street.

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Thank you for reading!


	28. Chapter 28 Reconsider

**Reconsider**

**Another update~! A huge sigh of relief for summer! That means more updates! ^_^**

**I do not own One Piece, that belongs to Oda and the concept belongs to Hanzatsu-Hime **

**Hanzatsu-Hime: Thank you for reading! I was hoping for that reaction when the woman gave Nami advice on how to handle relationships . I hope that i properly built up the effects of the assault and how it hurts her. As for the fate of the woman..well...you're going to have to keep reading to find out right? Haha. **

**bookworm0313: hello again! I remember you were there in the early days of this story! Thank you for returning to continue to read and i hope i can do this OTP justice! **

* * *

"Assassinate the Monarch?" Franky's echo of surprise was displayed on the rest of the Strawhat's faces as they stared past the bars at the Bartender. The lines of stress on the man's aged face became more pronounced as he crossed his fisted hands and stared down at the crew,

"I'm sure that you've heard many things about the Monarch. It's up to you whether or not you believe them but let me tell you this: the Monarch is not a god. The Monarch isn't a beast nor is the Monarch a devil fruit user." The cyborg's mouth tugged to the side in confusion,

"What's your point? You've haven't given us a reason why we should even help you!" Franky looked at his friends in chains and shot the Bartender a scathing look, "chaining us up doesn't exactly do anything to make us lean toward your side either." The man spread his hands out in a placating gesture,

"I apologize. We weren't sure what your intentions were when you came here." He nodded to the young blonde next to him and the teen quickly unlocked the cell and hurried inside to free their arms from the chains. "We didn't want you to meet the Monarch before you knew the truth about this place." The shipwright grumbled under his breath as he examined his scraped shoulders, mourning the sight of the scratched, blue and red coating he'd recently repainted. One look at the way the historian weakly sagged to the side and Franky had to tamp down the urge to send a fist toward the man's square jaw.

"What truth?" Luffy dusted his cuffed shorts and fumbled for his hat as the cyborg helped Robin to her feet. The Bartender heaved a sigh before he jerked his head to the hall,

"Before I tell you, why don't I make a proper meal? Something that isn't laced this time." Franky narrowed his eyes and opened his mouth to turn it down when he saw his captain march determinedly for the door and turn to the blonde,

"How long was I out?" the young lad counted with his fingers,

"Five hours. The drugs wore off after two and you guys slept through the rest of the night." You could see the cogs churn in the Strawhat's brain as Luffy tipped his head to the side for a few seconds before his eyes widened,

"You owe me five meals!" he exclaimed and the boy blinked, puzzled,

"Five? But you only missed-" He let out a startled shout when the captain shoved him out of the way and sprinted after the Bartender with Chopper on his heels,

"Every single meal he counts as five." Franky explained as the boy's eyes widened to the size of plates and he stared after the rubberman in shock,

"He eats _that _much?" the dubious look on his face had the shipwright chuckling as he pushed his way out and lumbered after everyone.

"See for yourself if you don't believe us." He gently prodded Robin's back as they followed the stomping of feet down to a moderate size kitchen with a massive island that dominated the majority of the kitchen. The Bartender waved them to the island as he expertly tossed whatever he was making in the air,

"Have a seat. It won't take long for me to fry this back up." Robin glanced at the amount in the pan and smiled

"I don't think there will even be any for us if that's all you're planning to make." The Bartender turned his head, a slight frown wrinkling his forehead,

"You eat more than this?" He gestured with his wooden spoon at the large stir-fry. Franky took one look at the contents of the pan and turned his head to look at his salivating companions with their kitchen utensils in the air and their tongues hanging out and guffawed,

"Better make more Bartender. Else all of that is going straight into our captain's stomach." A loud rhythm of Luffy and Chopper's incessant banging onto the table further emphasized his words. The Bartender shot a worried look at his tabletop and quickly dumped the entire batch onto a large plate. Before he could even hand it over, rubber arms stretched out and grabbed the entire platter. There was an audible gulp as the Strawhat shoveled everything into his cheeks; the skin stretched around the food and with another swallow, what took the Bartender a few minutes to cook was gone in mere seconds.

"I want some too!" Chopper whined as Luffy smacked his lips and held out the now empty plate,

"Got more?" Both victualler and boy gaped at the rubberman with mouths hanging open. Franky bared his teeth in a smile,

"Told ya." He wasn't wrong. For the next twenty minutes, the Bartender found himself placed in the role of the waiter as both Luffy and the rest of his crew demanded him to exhaust his entire stock of supplies to fill their stomachs. Meanwhile, everyone else was forced to yell, smack and defend their own portion from Luffy's sneaky hands as he snatched as much as he could from their plates. The poor blonde nearly lost his share if Robin hadn't whisked his plate away with her hands.

A long, lurid burp escaped Luffy's mouth five minutes after and the captain slumped back in his chair and patted his extended stomach,

"I'm still kinda hungry." He mumbled around a smile and Chopper whopped him on the arm,

"You're hungry?! _You_ stole _half_ of my breakfast!" he shouted and his captain gave him a lazy grin,

"Shishishi! Thanks for the food!" The Bartender slumped down onto the chair at head of the table, sweat dotted his forehead and he pulled out a handkerchief to wipe it off,

"I should've been a f*cking waiter." He muttered and groaned as he rolled his wrists, "I made enough food for six people. I didn't expect to be catering to a thousand." He sighed and tossed a distressed look at his pantry, "I'm going to have to go out again today to buy more. You guys cleaned out my storage room." He studied the slumped captain, "I have two pantries that was supposed to last me at least six months! Six!" He shook his head in disbelief and laughed, "You managed to finish everything inside them in less than thirty minutes!" Franky picked at his teeth with a toothpick and Robin folded her hands over her cup,

"So how did you end up here?" The Bartender tucked the kerchief back into his pocket,

"As you can see, my original occupation was a bartender in the Revolution. To put it bluntly, I'm a spy." He rested his hands on his belly and shifted into a more comfortable position, "I decided to focus completely on working for Dragon outside of the organization instead of my usual position. I didn't expect him to send me to this location." He moved again, "My assignment was to recruit as many people as I could into our side and smuggle them into the Revolution. We also have a few Seats of the Brahmin who agreed to work with us. Dragon's plan was to upset the current Monarch and force a fight with the Navy Headquarters who depended on this island. He hopes that in doing so, we'd be able to clear out any opposition, take over Nishima and use their base as one of our outposts."

The Bartender's fingers tightened and his expression grew dark. "When the current Monarch decided to completely close off the entire island, they managed to somehow cut out all frequencies and transmitters. I had no way to contact the Revolution for the next 10 years." Franky rolled the toothpick between his teeth,

"So you formed the Insurgence?" The Bartender nodded,

"I stayed quiet for the next few years and integrated myself into the Inner City." He chuckled, "I waited till there were signs of discontent in the Brahmin ranks before I made my move." Luffy frowned and toyed with this plate,

"But you couldn't get out of here?" The burly man shook his head,

"My aim is to recruit and smuggle as many Brahmin, Vaishya, Kshatriya and Shudras as I could out of Nishima. I've only been able to ship out a few before the island closed their borders. I'd fail my mission if I left." Robin nodded her head in thought,

"How many Brahmins agreed to do this?" the Bartender held up four fingers,

"The Eighth, Seventh, Sixth, and Fifth Seats have been arranged to be double agents." He ticked them off with his hand, "the rest are sitting in comfortable positions so it would be useless to try to persuade them."

"How did you sway the others to your side?" The man winced; his shorn beard did nothing to hide his grimace,

"They all have families living in the Outer City. They had initially fought against the separation but they couldn't tip the scales to their favor, her position was too powerful." Chopper's eyes bulged,

"She?" he squeaked, "The Kshatriya told me the Monarch was a man!" The victualler shook his head,

"This society isn't like most. Before I came here, negotiations were made by a Patriarch. Now, it's completely dominated by women." The Bartender looked at the Strawhats as Luffy threw his arms behind his head,

"That sounds like Amazon Lily," he grinned and the Bartender raised a brow at him,

"Because I am a man, I have little to no power in this civilization. If you haven't noticed, all of the Kshatriya are male. The majority of the Insurgence are made up of people who are unhappy of the separation and of their low status, that would the Shudras and the Vaishya." He locked his eyes with Robin, "the Brahmin is a group of powerful female individuals. Only the women here hold the scepter." He accepted a drink from the lad and took a sip,

"I don't know exactly how the former Monarch was usurped but what I do know is the current ruler is a woman." He shook his head and downed the cup, "it seems that she has every intention to oppress every single male and assert her control over all of them. I'm not sure what drove her to do this but it's clear that she holds a grudge towards the male gender." Franky's eyebrows rose,

"She hates men?" he didn't have anything against women who were misandrist, but it was a bit of a surprise when the Monarch herself allowed her personal resentments to affect how she ruled.

"She despises them. That's why the she had the Inner City build Conditioning Institutes for the Kshatriya." The Bartender nodded to the young blonde sitting on the stool across from him, "Abelard here is already enrolled into the Institute. But he's there for a different reason." The Bartender affectionately ruffled the boy's hair as the young lad grinned,

"I'm working undercover aren't I uncle?" the man chortled and patted his shoulder,

"Yes you are son." The Bartender looked up, "Abelard lost both his father and mother when he was seven. I knew his parents and took him under my wing when they were cast out." Franky frowned around his toothpick,

"I don't understand why you need to separate both the Inner and Outer City. Wouldn't it be a hassle to travel back and forth?" Abelard's eyes clouded over and he fiddled with the buttons on his shirt,

"My mom and dad have a glove that allows them to visit the City once in a while." He offered them a tremulous smile and straightened his shoulders, "they make sure to see me and send me things that my mom made whenever they get the chance to."

"They can't visit every week?" Abelard shook his head and the troubled expression on Luffy's face grew darker.

"They're given five days a month to stay here. After that, they have to leave and wait for the next month." Franky's frown deepened,

"And if they hide in the Inner City?" wisps of the teen's wavy hair swung back and forth and the boy shook his head,

"They'll be taken to the Monarch for judgement." The Bartender coughed and pushed himself out of his chair,

"The plans have already been set. Whether or not you want to aid us in our plight, it is up to you." He clasped his hands behind his back and walked toward the stairs, "even if you refuse, I'd like to invite you all to a gathering I'm throwing tomorrow night with all the members of the Insurgence. But before that, why don't I take you to the stalls that open in the morning and you can look around and see if there's anything you fancy." Franky turned his head to watch his captain stand up,

"We'll help you." The cyborg felt his mouth kick up and he chuckled and pulled the toothpick out of his mouth; of course they would, when did Luffy not offer help to anyone? The Bartender twisted his neck to look at the Strawhat before he nodded,

"Good, because the Insurgence will attack the evening after, I hope to see you there." Luffy grinned and stuck his arm out, letting out a hearty whoop as he bounded out of his place as the rest of the Strawhats trailed out after the Bartender.

* * *

_He'd met the Strawhat impostors before. More like he bumped into them after he made his way back from Shakki's house to go find a fishing pole. Zoro was just about to tip his head back to pour a mouthful of the alcoholic drink down his throat when something slammed into his stomach. Out went that sake and the swordsman spat out his entire mouthful when there was an offended screech into his abdomen. The thing that hit him pulled back gripping tightly onto her bruised nose,_

_"__You stupid lump! Look what you did! You gave me a bloody nose!" Indeed, the woman was cupping her hands over a well-bruised cartilage and glaring at him through squinted eyes. _

_"__Sorry." Zoro mumbled and wiped his mouth before he shuffled past them only to be stopped by a meaty hand on his shoulder,_

_"__Oi! That's not how you apologize to us Strawhats!" the mention of the Mugiwara name along with the barrel of the gun waving under his nose brought the swordsman to halt. He turned around to face them and blinked in confusion. _

_"__Luffy?" the large man cackled and bent his hands to his waist, jutting his protruding belly out,_

_"__Don't you know me? I'm the Revolutionary Dragon's son!" Zoro blinked again, his good eye quickly glanced over the overweight lump, cast his eye to the thin stick with blue hair, looked at the poorly crafted masked vigilante in front of him and finally zeroed his eye onto the woman he'd bumped into. _

_His heart lurched when he saw the familiar ginger shade and Zoro eagerly lowered his gaze to meet the eyes of-_

_Who?_

_Everything about the woman shrieking indignantly at him was wrong. Her nose was too thin and pointed. Her eyes were long and shrewd. Zoro inwardly cringed at the abnormally distended belly sticking under the horrid top she was wearing. _

_Most of all, the heart-gripping, soul-tearing and breathtaking sensation he always felt whenever he looked at her wasn't there. The imposter's eyes were a dull, muddy brown and didn't give off the same light as the navigator had every time they saw each other. Another dead giveaway was that she hadn't tilted her head up to meet his eye with that defiant gaze he'd always admired. He had mulled over what her reaction would be when she found out that he'd lost one of his eyes but it never crossed his mind that she'd turn him away._

_The woman, who was seething at him from behind a bloody nose, looked at him with nothing but disgust._

_The navigator possessed and displayed many emotions he'd seen throughout the course of the time they'd worked together. _

_Disgust was not one of them._

_And that was the most telling reason of all. _

_"__Get on your knees and apologize!" Apologize? For what? Zoro eyed the flabby hulk that gave him a front seat to the end of his gun and brushed his thumb over the handles of his swords. _

_They dared to pretend to pose as his crew? As his navigator? He'd rip their masks from their faces and peel back their lies to expose the truth._

_Murderous intent glazed over his eye and before Zoro could unsheathe his swords and strike, a loud clamor roused from the crowd lingering around them and the man with his hair dyed blue tugged on his captain,_

_"__Taichou! The marines are heading over! We need to go!" The imposter gave Zoro a baleful glare before he tucked his gun back into his pocket and turned away,_

_"__Hmph, I was going to get a drink anyways." He turned to look at the swordsman, "Remember me! I'm Mugiwara Luffy! I came out as the victor in the Battle of the Greatest! Remember what you've done and who you've offended and shake in fear!" With a booming laugh, the group shoved their way through the throng and vanished into the crowd..._

Zoro blinked away sleep when something soft and heavy whacked him on the head, abruptly dragging him away from his reminiscing dream,

"Wake up blockhead!" a blur of movement reached his peripheral and Zoro's arm shot up in time to block the next hit. He wasn't too surprised when he met the scowling face of the blonde cook as Sanji huffed and stepped off his bed. The swordsman gritted his teeth and reached behind him to chuck his own pillow at the man's back,

"You could've just called me." He grunted and ducked to avoid the cushion flying back over him,

"I've been trying to wake your lazy ass for the last five minutes!" Sanji snapped as he headed back toward the bathroom. The chef adjusted the zipper on his jacket and sighed, "Unfortunately, it's my turn to babysit you and I need someone to help me carry the groceries so you're coming with me." At that, the swordsman frowned as he bent down to retrieve his shoes from under the bed,

"I can take care of myself." He grumbled, ignoring the look of incredulity Sanji gave him,

"Marimo, the only thing you need to take care of are the bags you'll be carrying so hurry up and get dressed." Zoro tugged the boots over his feet before he pushed himself to his feet. A violent yawn cracked open his jaws and he stretched before he reached down for his crimson sash and wrapped it around his waist, tucking the ends into his stomach. He lumbered past the cook preening in front of the bathroom mirror, stopped in front of the toilet and unzipped,

"When do we head out to find the others?" The cook straightened his collar,

"Right after we finish buying enough food to fill the Sunny's cabinets. And you!" Zoro's brows drew together at the accusing finger stabbed at him, "you need to fix whatever the hell you did to Nami-san!" The swordsman glowered at his friend and quickly flushed,

"I don't know what you're talking about." He muttered and elbowed the cook aside to wash his hands,

"Bullshit." Sanji hissed, "You haven't seen her this morning because you were still sleeping. I saw her when I went out to prepare breakfast and she was sitting there staring into space with this dead look on her." Something mercilessly squeezed Zoro's heart and he kept his head down, unable to look up. Behind him, Sanji crossed his arms, glaring at him expectantly,

"You did something didn't you Marimo? Nami–san didn't have that look when I carried her down that hole. So something must have happened between the times we went to the Brahmin's house till now." Zoro scrubbed a hand down his face and blew out a breath; he _hated _conversations that pushed him out of his comfort zone, it made him edgy and irritated him to no end. Apparently the invasive chef thought now was a good time for one of those talks.

"I…I got mad cook." He muttered. In the reflection, he saw Sanji raise his visible eyebrow,

"At?" the sound of feet tapping impatiently on the tiles echoed in the bathroom.

"…You…and her." The patter continued.

"And why were you mad Zoro?" The swordsman sighed and spun around to finally face him,

"You want to know why?" he rumbled as his body took up an aggressive stance, "I got mad because she was on your back alright? Are you done interrogating my ass?" The heel of Sanji's shoe stomped toward his face and Zoro parried the blow with his arm,

"Do you think she's in any condition for you to act like a Neanderthal around her?" Heat and embarrassment burned Zoro's ears and he flung the man's foot to the side,

"I know that! That's why I stayed away from her!" Another blinding kick snapped his head back and Zoro swore as he lunged forward, punching his friend hard. Their bodies slammed against the wall as the two found themselves braced against each other, hands gripped against the other's arm, mouths locked in a soundless snarl.

"Avoiding her isn't going to help either!" Sanji growled and he wedged a foot against Zoro's abdomen and shoved him away. They stood facing each other, breathing heavily, "you're suppose to reassure her that you'll be there to help her like I did when she couldn't keep up with us! Not become a petulant child and sulk because she didn't come to you for help!" Shame slapped his face and Zoro shoved the emotion aside; his pride wouldn't allow him to back down.

"I'm doing my best." The words sounded pathetic even to his ears and Sanji shook his head and stomped out of the bathroom,

"If your "best" means keeping your distance, then you better rethink that idea because I guarantee that the results won't be what you expect it to be."

* * *

**Thank you for reading! Comments and Critiques are welcomed!**


	29. Chapter 29 Resilience

**Resilience**

**Hello! I'm back with a new chapter!**

**I do not own One Piece, it belongs to Oda and the concept belongs to Hanzatsu-Hime**

**jolphuong: (27) Have Faith! We'll make it through this! (28) I hope you enjoyed Zoro's encounter with the impostor Strawhats! As for the Brahmin...? well...hmm...she's actually a *zips mouth* **

**jessjulieee: Thank you so much! **

* * *

If you weren't able to picture the Inner City, allow me to paint you a better picture in the simplest way possible. Imagine a large spider crouched on the tops of the walls over the entire city with its legs slightly spread apart. If you aren't fond of the arachnid analogy, well…feel free to picture something else.

Can you see it?

Good.

We can move on now.

"The Inner City is split into four sections: Markets and warehouses are South, Entertainment is North, Equipment and Medical are West, and Institutions East." The Bartender wedged the curled corners of the map with a few miscellaneous objects and circled the locations. "You guys came from the Western Entrance which is where shops sell Equipment and Medicine are located. Houses are built in the middle of the Inner City and the Monarch's living quarters are the walls surrounding the entire Inner City including the arching tower that hangs over the entire Inner City." Franky made a face,

"She lives in the walls?" The victualler laughed and pointed to the highly decorated walls, the lone tower, and the suspending arches that were connected to it,

"All of that are hers. If you haven't taken a good look at the walls, even if they don't look like it, they're incredibly thick. She uses them as her watchtowers and posts Kshatriya in them to watch over the City." The man traced a finger around the entire city, "you can say that the phrase, 'the walls have eyes and ears' is a literal thing here. She knows about everything, including our rebellion." The bartender smiled and gestured toward his kitchen, "that's why I had this place built; she may have her spies up and above, but not down underground." Luffy squatted on the table and poked a pinky into his nose,

"So the meat is south. Got it. Can we go now?" The Bartender hefted a large sack over his back as Abelard secured the pouch of coins to his side,

"My bar is labeled as Entertainment. We need to pass the houses and head straight to reach the Market." Franky held up a hand,

"There are some parts of my body that are in need of repair. So I'm be going West." Chopper stuck his hoof up and waved,

"You said the medical center is west too right? I ran out of most of our supplies so I'll go with you." Robin tapped a finger to her bottom lip as she studied the map,

"I'll go with Luffy and the Bartender to help. And if by any chance we meet the rest of our crew, we'll enlist their help." The Bartender nodded and adjusted the straps of his bag,

"We'll meet back here in the evening. Until then, take care to stay as low as possible. Even though there won't be many people out this early in the morning, remember that the Monarch has Kshatryia standing guard everywhere." He ushered Abelard and everyone else out the door to the open bar before he shut the stone walls, effectively sealing his hideaway. "No matter what, do not get caught."

* * *

"I'm surprised that Dragon took interest in this island. 10 years ago, it's only known use was a port for ships hoping to make a pit stop before they continue on their way." Robin fell in step beside the Bartender as they ducked behind a house of buildings and made their way toward the Markets. A smirk tugged at Bartender's mouth and he drew a spiral in the air,

"When you reached the island, did you notice the shape of Nishima is like the shell of a Transponder Snail? That was exactly what Nishima was built for: communication. It was one of the central uses of this isle. Wave frequencies and lines could be sent underwater through certain water lanes and Nishima is right in the thick of it. The file I had on this island said that Nishima was strategically placed between the Yonkos' territories and the Marine Headquarters. Transponder Stingrays were used to move around the bottom of this island to help carry these conversations from one place to another. If we can secure it, it will be the perfect outpost for the Revolutionary to wiretap into these lines." The historian tipped her head back to stare up at the massive, arcing bridges that were all connected to an impressive towering building suspended in the sky.

"Quite fascinating architecture." She murmured as she watched Luffy gawk at their surroundings, his dark orbs glittering with excitement,

"This is so cool!" he pointed up to one of the bridges stretched toward the Southern entrance, "I wonder if I can swing us over there." Robin spared a glance at the Bartender and Abelard who stared at her captain as if he'd grown another head,

"That would be convenient and save us the time it'll take to walk there but that's impo-" before Robin could even try to persuade the rubberman out of the notion, those familiar arms wrapped around her waist and her breath was snatched from her as the historian found herself along with the victualler and Abelard flung into the air.

"He said yes!" Robin hung onto her rubbery lifesaver for dear life as Luffy stretched and looped an arm around the arch that led to the Southern entrance. With an enthusiastic whoop; they were soaring into the sky.

The screams and colorful streams of profanities that flew from the Bartender's mouth and the terrifying cries of Abelard shattered the Inner City's somewhat peaceful morning. They landed without a hitch onto the cobbled stones and the Bartender stumbled out of the captain's grip and spun around, astonishment painted over his face.

"I should've known you were a devil fruit user the way you snatched that bowl this morning!" he peered at the Strawhat curiously, "tell me, what is your name?" Luffy grinned and clasped his hands behind his head,

"My name is Monkey D. Luffy! And I'm going to be the pirate king!" It was no surprise when the Bartender's mouth flopped open and he staggered back, gaping,

"Monkey D Luffy! You're Luffy!" he mumbled as his eyes brightened, "Pardon me for prying but by any chance, is your father -"

"Yup! My dad's Dragon!" Luffy shrugged and whistled as the victualler let out a choked gasp and sank onto his knees, his eyes glistening with tears,

"I'm eternally grateful I had the opportunity to meet his son." He whispered as Abelard rushed to his side,

"Are you alright? Why are you kneeling?" the boy tugged on his uncle's sleeve as the Bartender heavily rose to his feet,

"I remember your mother; she was so full of life. I can finally see where that familiar carefree personality came from," he wiped a tear from his eye as Luffy's eyes widened,

"Y-you know my mom?" he asked incredulously and the man chuckled,

"Of course! You think you got that laidback composure and bottomless stomach from your stone face father?" he chortled and shook his head, "your mother was quite the monkey herself when she was young. From the day she was with child, till the day she went into labor, she drove your poor dad up the ceiling and out of his mind with her crazy antics." His smile faded and he quickly sobered and snapped his mouth shut and hefted his sack over his shoulder,

"What happened to her?" Luffy grabbed his shoulder and spun him around, his dark orbs drilled into the Bartender's and Robin stepped forward; this was important,

"I don't know what happened. She gave birth to you in the East Blue and upped and disappeared shortly after." His mouth slanted down shut on the conversation and he turned and trudged toward the first open stall he saw, "Madam! What do you have for us today?" he signaled for Abelard as he bent to examine the trays of dried meat laid out in the stand,

"Only the best on this island dear," a plump, woman emerged from within the stand, her heart-shaped lips pursed as she took in the Strawhats. A penned eyebrow raised and she looked at him,

"They're the ones we're looking for?" the Bartender passed a finger over a dehydrated pack of jerky before he grabbed a couple and nodded at his nephew to pay.

"4 total. They're out buying supplies." The woman's snorted softly and ran her eyes over Robin and her captain staring fixatedly at the dried poultry,

"We have five more we need to look for." Robin quickly interjected and the woman nodded to the victualler.

"Do you want me to spread the word out so the others can keep an eye on them?" the Bartender nodded,

"I'd be grateful if you did that. Thank you." She waved a ringed hand and reached under the counter to pull out a miniature version of the telephone snail. It was really a tiny mechanism, no bigger than a thumbnail. She pressed the red button top of the shell and touched her finger to a microphone inserted into her ear,

"I got the okay. Keep an eye out for the foreigner's friends. If you see them, go ahead and send them over to the Bartender's place." Her nails clicked against the mic and she let out a satisfied huff, "words out now. It will only be a matter of time when we find them." The historian followed the Bartender as Luffy did his best to poke his nose into every single stall there in existence. His nose twitched like mad every time he encountered something that struck his fancy and the poor bartender was forced to empty a few coins to satisfy his insistent begging. The task of distributing allowances to each crewmember had been left to none other than the navigator herself so when they left the ship, they'd entrusted all the money to Sanji and had forgotten to split it.

It was nearing lunch when they decided to stop by an open yatai hidden deep within the folds of the market. There, Luffy proceeded to stuff his face with as much of the stir-fried noodles as he could fit in his rubbery mouth as Robin kept an observant eye one their surroundings. She tuned into the conversation between the Bartender and the cook covered in a stained apron angled his neck to her,

"So these are the youngsters stirring up the Inner City." He laughed and used the back of his hand to swipe back his graying hair over his forehead, "quite an uproar you made here. All of the Brahmins were all riled up when they heard your entrance." He quickly lifted his head to scan the area behind their back, "it would have been better if you had left them in your cellar. The Monarch has ordered all Kshatriya out on a blood hunt for you." All the blood on the aging man's face suddenly drained from his pallor expression as his mouth parted open in a soundless gasp. In a split second, the Bartender had all but picked up a struggling Luffy and a startled historian and dumped them over the counter.

"Hey!" Luffy popped his head up only to have a large hand quickly smash his head back down,

"Ssst!" the victualler hissed and Robin crouched beside her captain, her body tense as the sound of boots marching in unison filled the air.

"Udon cook! You have been summoned by the Monarch! He has ordered for you to cater to his dinner tonight." The man's wrinkled hands dug into his apron as his frail body shook,

"O-o-of c-course-se." he stuttered as the trooping unit faded back into the crowd.

"Don't go." Robin watched as the cook, with trembling arms, begin to hurriedly wipe down his counter,

"I have to." He said hoarsely as he looked up at the Bartender, "let's hope she likes my dishes." The man let out a weak chuckle. The victualler leaned forward to place his hand on top of the chef's,

"We both know why she summoned you. She's going to hand you over for interrogation." The sous-chef exhaled and took off his hat to rub his temples,

"You think I don't know that?" he stuffed the towel into his front pocket and shook his head, "I'll resist her, I swear I will." He offered them a courageous smile and turned away, "in the meanwhile, you need to hide them before she finds them and takes them too." The Bartender gritted his teeth and combed back his hair,

"She's beginning to move her pieces by taking some of ours." He grunted as the cook flipped the blinds and the welcome sign over and began to close shop, "we should go," Abelard dropped their payment onto their table as Robin clambered over the counter. With the victualler hefting their loaded burlap, they sped up their pace after a hasty goodbye to the chef. Halfway past housing, Luffy twisted his head and he reached out to snag Robin's wrist. The chronicler's eyes widened at the sight of the familiar broad back shouldering a load of food in plastic bags,

"Oi! Zoorro! Saannjii!" she'd barely clapped her hand over her captain's mouth when the duo spun around,

"Luffy!" they rushed toward them. The cook's mouth was stretched in a wide grin as he all but prostrated himself in front of the historian,

"Ohh Robin-chan! The beautiful and splendid queen of my heart! It's been so long since-" he squawked when a pair of hands fisted his lapels as both the chef and the swordsman were dragged out of the reach of wandering eyes,

"We'll fill you all in later but we need to hide." She nodded to the Bartender when Sanji began to struggle,

"Did you two manage to escape them? The rest of us snuck into the Inner City when we heard you were taken in by the Kshatriya!" Robin spoke quickly as she tugged the men behind her,

"Luffy caused a disturbance that ended up with the guards on the lookout for us. They probably know you're here too." The blonde nodded,

"When we arrived, entire squad of Kshatriya were waiting for us on the other side of the walls." Zoro grunted and shook his shoulders in annoyance,

"Ero-cook is right, we need to go back and get everyone else." The man froze when he felt her finger give his clothed loins a warning tap,

"Not now Roronoa." Was the silky reply and the man swallowed hard and shut his mouth when the historian halted at Luffy's protest,

"Everyone is here? Great! Where are they?" Sanji jerked his chin behind him,

"We were just heading back to the Brahmin's house, we'll take you there." A few feet away from her, the Bartender froze and whirled around, dread etched over the lines on his strained face,

"A Brahmin housed you? What seat is she?" he hissed and the cook narrowed his eyes,

"What do you have against her? And who are you anyways?" the victualler pinched his eyes shut and blew out a breath,

"Hello, I work as a Bartender in the Inner City and as a spy for Dragon. I've recruited your friends here in an uprising known as the Insurgence." His eyes darted around the quiet alley as his voice lowered to a more serious note, "right now, it is imperative that I know what Seat you're staying with. Know that it is for your own safety that I'm asking this." Sanji blinked in surprise,

"The Insurgence? Didn't Faith mention something about joining that group?" the man's forehead wrinkled, "if it puts you at ease, we're staying with the 7th Seat Brahmin." A loud whoosh of relief escaped the Bartender's lungs as he sagged against the wall,

"Thank god," he sighed before he straightened his shoulders and steered Abelard forward, "come, take us quickly to the Seventh's house." His smile was faint if not stressed, "I'm sure she'd be more than happy to see us."

* * *

Her throat stubbornly closed as Nami picked listlessly at the bread beside her hand. It felt as if the world around her had shrunk and closed upon her. She stirred the spoon in her bowl with the tip of her finger balancing the entire utensil and grasped the handle, lifting the contents to her lips. Her stomach rebelled and she dropped the spoon and dug her hands into her hair and sighed.

She spent the rest of the night huddled on her bed, staring cynically at the bedside window. Although her expression was worryingly blank, her mind had become a sanctuary for a whirlwind of scattered and uneasy thoughts. She couldn't push the woman's words from her mind; the end of her tale was anything but positive, and it triggered her own insecurities and previous qualms about how her own story would play out.

Nami wasn't exactly one to be superstitious, but she couldn't escape the niggling feeling of alarm that spiked through her body as realization hit her.

What if…it became hers too?

Her hand automatically gripped her spoon in a strangle hold and she all but slammed it back down into the broth and gave her head a hard shake. Nami ignored the throb in her temples and concentrated on forcefully shoving an entire spoonful into her mouth; he would never do that to her, the idiot wasn't one to show affection, but she knew his actions conveyed his thoughts louder than anything else.

_"__They don't want the burden of helping the person they claim that they love. They want the girl from the past before they got hurt."_

The heavy substance refused to slide down her throat and Nami squeezed her eyes shut, coaxing her throat to open. Frustration wet her eyes and she swallowed and gagged. She stared at the still full bowl, watching as it increased in size till it nearly overwhelmed her; she couldn't finish this.

_"__Eat." _Her insides protested as the navigator picked up another dollop and pushed it into her mouth. She choked as her closed gullet finally gave way to the food and wiped her mouth panting.

_"__It is better to leave the whole alone and intact than drag them with you to misery."_

Why did she find herself craving his reassurance so badly? Nami dropped the spoon, crossed her arms and leaned back to rest her head on the back of the chair. She folded her thigh over the other, winced and quickly brought them back to their original position; she'd refused to take the pills to alleviate her pain and the warning sting between her legs reminded her again, why she shouldn't push herself.

_"__I'm not giving up." _Determination brought a sliver of her nonexistent appetite back and Nami grabbed the entire bowl, sucked in a deep breath.

And proceeded to drink down every single drop.

* * *

**Thank you for reading! Comments and Critiques are welcomed!**


	30. Chapter 30 Recalcitrant

**Recalcitrant**

**Hehe. You guys didn't expect me to post another one this soon did ya? Well, I updated!**

**I do not own One Piece. Credits go to Hanzatsu-Hime and Oda**

**Jen: i agree, i kind of hate myself for doing this too.**

**Onto the chapter!**

* * *

The Brahmin didn't welcome them with the pleased demeanor that the Bartender had hoped. Instead, a spooked and eerily haunted woman greeted them at the door; her eyes darted around their backs as she quickly pulled them in and yanked the door shut,

"I've been summoned to a meeting with the Monarch and the rest of the Seats tonight," her face creased in worry as she led them toward the kitchen, "I don't know what's going to happen but from the look on the Kshatriya's face, she's not please-" The sound of someone retching had everyone picking up speed to turn the corner in time to see Nami with her head under the kitchen faucet,

"Nami-san!" Zoro's body tensed and Sanji was at her side in an instant, his hands securing her long locks as he held her hair back. The navigator inhaled as her body heaved and she threw up again, "what happened?" he looked frantically around the room and his eyes fell upon the empty bowl upended on the ground, "you didn't have to eat all of that! Your stomach isn't ready to digest so much food at once!" She coughed and braced her hands against rim of the sink,

"I-I'm…okay," she panted and gratefully accepted the towel to wipe her mouth. With the cook supporting her, she weakly made her way back to the dining table and sat down heavily onto the chair,

"Where's Chopper?" Zoro demanded and Robin quickly grabbed her pack,

"Chopper and Franky both went to buy medicine and metal parts at the Western End; I'll go call them back." The swordsman grunted and thinned his lips as Luffy padded up to his navigator and crouched at her side,

"You don't look alright Nami, maybe you should get some rest." He reached out to feel her forehead when she jerked back,

"I-I just need a second to pull myself together," she shut her eyes and exhaled and circled her thumbs over her temples, "it's probably because I didn't sleep very well last night." Sanji frowned,

"Then you should go and get some sleep! That's probably another reason why you threw up!" The woman huffed at him and looked up at the Bartender. At her questioning stare, the man stepped forward and dipped his head, giving her a courteous nod,

"If you don't mind, I'd like to wait till we all gather together before I introduce myself again. I rather not repeat myself so much." Just as he finished, the door flew open as Usopp and Brook came thundering in with Law and Faith trailing after them seconds later,

"We heard someone throwing up, is everything-" his eyes fell on Nami's slumped position and his brows drew together, "Nami! Are you alright? What-"

"She didn't get enough sleep, and she tried to finish all of this morning's breakfast when her stomach couldn't handle it." The sniper shook his head and turned to look at the victualler,

"Who are-"

"Wait till everyone gets here," Zoro crossed his arms and allowed the table to support his weight, he kept the navigator in his field of vision in case she were to suddenly faint in exhaustion.

It baffled him at her refusal for help. After closer inspection, he was alarmed at the dark shadows beneath her eyes; she was known to be extensively paranoid of her skin and took great measures to take care of it. Seeing her slightly unkempt state had alarm bells of worry going off in his head. Was he overanalyzing everything? Or was it really his fault? The swordsman mulled over his thoughts and had to fight the urge to actually scratch his head: this wasn't something he usually had to ponder. He excelled at split second decisions during battle, he shone whenever he had the chance to make use of his swordplay, and if someone had dared him to test his physical strength, the man topped quite a lot of people in the world.

Chewing over whether or not he'd offended a woman however, was not at the top of his list of achievements. Trying to figure out whether or not he had hurt his significant other was even worse. He wasn't some oblivious and stupid buffoon; it was simply the fact that he'd never had to contemplate and worry over such decisions. Finding himself in such a spot threw him off.

Roronoa Zoro was stumped.

The cook's lecture that morning on his own behavior had Zoro bent over the bathroom sink for the next few minutes mulling over his friend's words. After a great deal of thinking, he had to admit that he royally f*cked up.

The first thing he wanted to do was apologize. It took one look at Nami's downcast head when he passed by the kitchen and he wanted to fall on his knees in front of her and grovel.

The second thing he wanted to do was let the woman beat the shit out of him. He'd be more than happy to sit there and take every single punch she dished out if it was going to wipe away her despondent expression.

Most of all, his clenched arms ached to take her into his embrace as he'd done whenever she was distraught and wrap her in a cocoon of safety. There weren't many moments when she showed true fear. However, when he'd taken the place of his captain to sacrifice his body beneath his leader's pain, the terror and horror on her face at his torn body stood in stark contrast of everyone else.

_He knew the moment he'd opened his eyes that she thought he wasn't going to make it. It was hard enough to open his eyes; it was even more difficult to stand the anxious furrow between her brows and the staggering look of relief in her eyes. For the next two days, they'd given him a room to rest in and paired him up with Chopper so he could keep an eye on his wounds. The navigator had poked her head in on the last day to check up on him and Zoro found himself staring up at her stiff form wondering what he'd done now to incur her wrath. Nami glared at him and looked like she was about to hit him when she blew out a breath and folded her arms,_

_"__I'm glad you're back." She looked away. _

_He didn't answer, his body ached and protested in places he'd never thought possible and Zoro sighed, a hint of a smile playing over his parched lips: of course. _

_"__Yea." Out of the corner of his eye, she huffed and reached out to give his bandaged forehead a quick pat,_

_"__Get better, okay?" he caught the glint of worry behind her indifferent visor and reached up to grab her left hand,_

_"__Okay." He tangled his fingers with hers and gave them a reassuring squeeze. In return, the walls behind her dark orbs crumbled and Nami bent over to brush her lips over his mouth._

_"__What happened?" Zoro kept his mouth shut and shook his head. She inspected his closed expression and sighed and tilted her head to change direction and kiss his cheek._

_It was meant to be quick, a mere comforting peck on the cheek when hunger surged into his body and Zoro pushed forward, turned his head and pressed his mouth firmly to hers. Her lower lip dropped in surprise and the swordsman immediately sought her tongue, his hand gripped her fingers and he dragged her over his chest. She yelped and caught herself over him and the man grunted when pain lanced up his side,_

_"__Stop it! You're going to open your wounds again," she hissed and Zoro tightened his hand on her,_

_"__Don't care." He mumbled between kisses and Nami groaned when he released her to press a kiss against her jaw. Her hand reached up to push at his shoulder and the navigator managed to pull herself away from him,_

_"__That's enough, you need sleep to recover, doctor's orders." Zoro glowered at the smirk on her face and made to grab her arm. The frustrating woman was faster than his injured state and she dodged his grasping hands, "uh, uh, we'll have to save that for another time." He growled his objection. _

_Before he could open his mouth to try to coax her to climb into bed with him, pouty lips caressed his in a lingering kiss and she was gone._

_S_anji's cajoling wasn't working, and from look of irritation on her face, it was going to get worse. Zoro stepped forward to grab the cook by the back of his shirt and haul him away from her before she did something stupid,

"You're starting to annoy her." He snapped and Sanji glared at him and dusted his pants,

"Annoying her and letting her kick my ass would be a thousand times better than what you did to put that look on her face." He muttered. The man's words smarted but Zoro kept clamped his mouth shut: His pride knew very well that he f*cked up, and because of that realization, it stayed thankfully silent.

Heavy feet thumping toward the kitchen pulled him out of his thoughts as Franky and Chopper stomped into the room. The doctor immediately scurried over, his hooves tugged his bag over his head and he ruffle in its contents.

"I need a cup of water!" He pulled out a container and popped the lid off with an expert twist. "Here Nami, take these pills, it''ll help your nausea and headache." The navigator murmured in thanks and popped the tablets into her mouth, washing it away with water.

The Bartender clasped his hands together,

"Is that everyone?" Zoro nodded, "good, now, if you don't mind, allow me to introduce myself again. I am an undercover Bartender working for Dragon to take over the Inner City."

* * *

As the Bartender was tugging the strings of his pack together in preparations to leave, the navigator, who had stayed quiet over his entire introduction and his plan, spoke up,

"I can help." Nami pushed herself up to her feet despite the loud protests and she turned her head to level all of them with a blistering glare of her own, "I'm not invalid. I did not come here on this journey to become a burden to you all." She held up a hand to silence Usopp's open mouth and straightened her shoulders,

"When do you plan to attack?" The Bartender studied her tense shoulders for a moment,

"Tomorrow evening." She nodded and pivoted neatly on her heel and headed toward her room. The pills Chopper had given her had gone a long way to relieve her nausea and headache. Her body wasn't aching any longer and she was beginning to feel a lot better than before.

"I'll be there at the party tonight too." Zoro slammed the butt of his sheathe to the ground and she turned her head to face him. He stared at her, his nostrils flared as he lowered his chin, his gaze fixated furiously at her and for a split second, she felt his anger surround her like a smothering blanket.

In a voice so deep it bordered threatening, he snarled,

"No you're not." Irascibility doused the flash of fear and pricked her temper and Nami spun around to give him an exasperated look,

"Yes. I am going." She lifted her chin, "I can handle it." He let out a growl and his hands curled into fists,

"It's too dangerous for you." Nami threw her arms in the air and bent them to her sides,

"I can take care of myself." She snapped and saw Sanji elbow Zoro's side and step forward,

"We know you can take care of yourself Nami-san, but I don't think-"

"Don't even start Sanji!" the cook withered and the navigator continued her way to her room,

"You all need to trust me. I will not have you treating me like a child. I've got you guys to watch my back so everything is going to be just fine." She twisted her head, searching for her female companion,

"Robin! Are you coming?" The historian smothered her perturbed composure and started to her,

"Of course, we wouldn't want to be late getting ready do we?"

* * *

"She can't go!" Usopp squawked as he paced the men's room. The sniper grabbed Zoro's shoulders and gave him a shake,

"Why did you have to be so forceful towards her? You know she's going to do the opposite if you try to order her around!" The swordsman ran a hand through his hair and rubbed the back of his neck,

"I didn't know what to do alright? She wasn't going to listen to any of us." He slumped and shook his head. Leaning against the open window, Sanji cupped the flame and pulled the lighter to the end of his cigarette. He pulled the stick back and tipped back his head to blow the smoke in the air,

"Nami-san isn't going to budge on this one," he pushed the cigarette back between his lips. Brook settled himself onto the other bed and plucked at the strings of his violin,

"I agree with Usopp, she's too injured to go into any rough environment. We all know what the bar can be like." He dropped the instrument beside him, "Chopper and I were there when she first woke up. She could barely lift her head, let alone move her entire body." He sighed and Usopp muttered something under his breath,

"We need to somehow persuade her to change her mind." He stalked over to the door when a hand snapped out and grabbed his shoulder,

"Don't. She'll be fine if she comes with us." He whipped his head around to gape at Luffy,

"Are you kidding me? Luffy! She was assaulted! She can't be around men! Hell she can't even stand us if we approach her!" The Strawhat released his grip and dangled his legs over the edge of the plush couch,

"Then we'll just have to watch over her right?" He fiddled with the brim of his hat and tipped his head back to look at the men gathered in the room,

"Right?' he grinned and chuckled as Usopp continued to gawp at him, "relax, if anyone touches her," The man punched his fist into his palm, "we'll just beat the crap out of them."

* * *

**Hellow guys! Sorry this one was shorter than usual! It's because I wanted to give you all one more chapter before we all have to brace ourselves for the next one because it's going to be big! **

**In fact, i'm confident enough to give you guys a date when it'll be posted!**

**July 6th**

**1am PST**

**Be Ready Guys! And As Always: Thank You for Reading!**


	31. Chapter 31 Revealed

**Revealed**

**It's here! The unveiling of quite a few things that will set the climax into motion and send this island straight into chaos!**

**Credits to Oda for the characters and Hanzatsu-Hime for the concept **

**jessjulieeeee: Here's another to add into your mail!**

**jolphuong: The 6th day is here! Hurry and read it! I can't wait to see your reaction!**

**Mistress of Dragons: (27): I don't actually own a bar of soap but i'm surprised you remember the types of soap your mother used XD that's really cool. Unfortunately, i only have the liquid type of body wash and i'm too much of a chicken to try it haha. (28): I've taken a look at the designs for the Sunny and because there wasn't anything labeled bathroom, i assume that there wouldn't be more than two to three bathrooms installed in the Sunny. That means walking into someone peeing, brushing their teeth, bathing etc. (except for the women of course) would be quite common. At least for the men. So i don't think Sanji would put up much of a fuzz about Zoro using the toilet while he's primping hehe. (29): Well...yes...he is in some sense. (30): I loved it too! It was one of the closest interactions we ZoNa fans could find!**

**Thank you guys so much for taking the time to leave a review! **

* * *

Faith's mother had a name. Yet her name was never acknowledged. They'd given her a number and a Title and that was it. That was her name for the next ten years.

Even now, with her back as stiff as a plank, the 7th Seat Brahmin remained as she always should; cold, calculating, and dignified. Around her sat power as each person took their place in their respective Seats.

_*Click. Click.* _the sound of a very distinctive pair of heels snapping onto the polished floors had the women give themselves a final onceover as the massive doors parted open.

_*Clack.*_

"Is everyone present?" At the answering murmur, a soft clap echoed in the large room as the dim lighting flickered to life. 7th tucked the offered cloth under her chin and straightened out the folds of her robe before she reached out to wipe her hands with a damp towel.

Ministrations done, she lifted her head to stare at a woman with her hair piled up, revealing a swanlike neck and a willowy upper torso: 3rd Seat. The woman gave her a corjial nod as she rearranged the cloth placed on her lap. They turned their heads to look at the throne at the head of the table as the Monarch stepped into the light.

She'd taken off her mask tonight and revealed her profile; high cheekbones, sharp nose, opal eyes and a wave of sleek, dark hair shaved off on one side. Just under her collarbone, lay the barest hint of slash marks borne from a deep-rooted incident none of them dared to query. She was full of secrets, her hatred of men, deep and long-standing and she didn't hesitate to manipulate them in any way possible. They couldn't quite pinpoint her age, no one could. However, the moment she stepped into the dining room, every women in the room had gone on alert.

It was as if a lioness had arrived. A very volatile and capricious lioness that rose the hairs on everyone's neck. Tonight, she wore a pleasant smile on her face as a Shudra quickly pulled back her seat while another Shudra worked on rolling up her velvet sleeves freeing her hands. The Monarch tossed her hair back and sighed,

"Now. We may begin." The 7th steeled her spine as the side doors blew open and in came the Shudra in a single file as they carefully, swiftly and silently wheeled in carts flowing with platters of their dinner into the room. She refrained from nodding her head in thanks to the Shudra who plated her plate with the delicacies of her preferences. Each plate and course was specifically catered to her taste and her taste alone.

Thanking a servant, much less a Shudra was forbidden. It was unheard of. They did not require thanks; only the thought of completing their job to their superior's satisfactions was enough.

Satisfy your superior? You're granted to hold onto your life to see another day.

Bump a Brahmin's arm? Spill a dollop of tea on the tablecloth? Accidentally obstruct their way while they're eating? Offend them with your presence and your appearance?

Your life would be forfeited before you could even open your mouth to beg.

"How are you doing today Seventh?" The Monarch's smooth pitch had the 7th Brahmin snapping to attention. Her mind had been pondering about the coming attack and the suspicious summon from the Monarch. Normally, they would meet at the beginning of each month and every fourth and fifth week for discussions and forthcoming plans. This was the second week of the month and the Monarch was usually straight laced about dates so this sudden call was quite unnerving.

All the Brahmins were weary. They were unsure why she would bid them out of the blue and although the 7th had an inkling of the topic, her breath had noticeably shortened as she waited for the Monarch to address the situation.

"Quite well thank you." She accepted the tea and lifted it to her lips to take a sip. Transversely across from her, the 2nd Seat took a swing of her wine and impatiently drummed her fingers,

"There better be a good reason why you called me out of my house. You've never summoned us out of the regular first month and fourth and fifth week." Everyone froze: only the Second had the audacity to speak to the woman in that manner and escape with her head still intact. The Monarch shot her a coy smile and resumed cutting into her dinner,

"There has been a problem that is starting to run rampant all over the Inner City. I made a mistake of leaving the job of squashing it to the 6th" her eyes shot to the emerald-haired female and her mouth thinned, "They've only grown over the years and I believe it is finally time I address it myself," The Seventh refrained from stiffening her body and raised her head, the well-crafted look of surprise on her face matched the other Seats while the Third was genuinely livid,

"It's that pesky group called the Insurgence isn't it?" at the Monarch's raised brow, the woman snorted and reached out to grab a bread roll, "don't think I haven't been keeping my eye on them. They've been hellbent on overriding the entire system since it's been created." Her sharp, gray orbs locked onto the Monarch and she plunked the end of the roll into her soup, "don't worry, I've got my own set of eyes and ears watching them," the pleasant smile on the Monarch's painted face widened and the 2nd froze for a second before she dropped her bread down with a loud curse, "you know who he is don't you? Going by that sly grin you're wearing, you've got him." She shook her head in disbelief and the Monarch chuckled.

The 7th worked to keep her posture rigid and her expression, mildly curious while the recess of her mind was askew with questions. She was prepared for a mole in the Insurgence but she didn't think she'd have so much trouble catching him before he revealed himself. The Monarch waved her hand at the double decked doors and two Shudras bowed low before they turned and pulled it open.

In stepped the Udon cook, his hat gripped between trembling hands as he quickly made his way to the front of the table before he sank to his knees and threw his arms out to the ground,

"Monarch, my Queen." He rasped. Amid the 2nd's low expletive, the 7th felt her blood freeze and she dared a glance at the woman reigning one Seat behind her. The 8th met her eyes, her dark, brows slightly drawn together in panic. The Brahmin masked the sinking dread in her stomach and concentrated on the cook; if he had even a notion of their traitorous acts, she'd melt his mind on the spot, consequences be damned.

"Rise, cook." The man quickly scrambled onto his feet and kept his head to her pointed heels,

"Y-you've summoned me m-my Queen?" he didn't risk lifting his eyes from her feet as the woman smiled at the top of his graying head and shifted her chair to face him,

"I did dear cook. Why don't you give us all here an update on what our little uprising is up to now?" her amiable beam never left her face as the cook tautened his spine,

"T-they've planned to attack the tower tomorrow." He mumbled, his eyes darted up nervously and with the Monarch's encouraging smile, continued, "They're being led by a Bartender in the Western Entrance. They've also managed to successfully recruit the foreigners into their rebellion." The 7th Brahmin braced her body as the Matriarch turned her head to sweep her eyes over the table, her eyes briefly locked onto hers and she returned her gaze to the Udon chef as horror flooded her body:_ does she know?_

"Speaking of foreigners, what do you know about them? I'm sure it's no secret that they've invaded the Inner City and caused such a disturbance to our community." The cook's head shot up only to drop back down just as quickly,

"I-I saw the Bartender conversing and working with t-two of them…" at the Monarch's frown, he hastily added, "I-I'm not sure how many there were but he only brought a man with a straw hat and another woman with him." The Matriarch hummed and tapped a manicured nail on the rim of her plate,

"Thank you for your contribution, you may leave now." The man hesitated and the woman paused before she nodded,

"The Shudra at the door has the glove with an unlimited amount of days. Your children will be taken and accepted into the Inner City." The man knelt and dipped his head to her once more before he turned and fled to the door.

As the entrances clicked in place, the Matriarch signaled to two Kshatriya at her side,

"Once he reaches the front steps, kill him. Dispose his body when you've finished." The men clasped their fists to their chest, bowed once and marched toward the side doors.

"We have gloves like that?" the 2nd blinked and the Monarch scoffed,

"Of course not, why would I let those unfit recluses inside? I threw them out for a reason didn't I?" She let out a sigh and faced the table and pressed the pads of her fingers to her temples, "oh dear, what a mess this has become." Her forlorn expression twisted as she picked up her knife and fork and finished cutting into her veal. The rest of the Brahmin stoically lifted their own utensils and returned to their individual meal.

"So they've got some Bartender leading the Insurgence eh?" the 2nd growled as she bit into a steamed tuber. Beside her, a woman with a veil of indigo locks and pale skin dabbed her pursed lips with a napkin,

"I've browsed through the man's record. He hasn't done anything to cause attention, he pays his dues on time and acts like any well-meaning citizen," her blood red lips flattened in confusion, "He's arrived here approximately three years before we dethroned Dra-" she clamped her mouth shut and cleared her throat,

"Continue." There was no mistaking the ice in the Monarch's voice and the 3rd Seat tightened her bearings,

"He's kept himself off our radar for years. Why did he decide to show his hand now?" The 7th clutched the folds of her robes and worked to keep her alarm at bay,

"Perhaps he's been working behind the scenes and away from our prying eyes." eight pairs of eyes swung to her and the Brahmin swallowed and held up her chin,

"Has he?" the 4th inspected her cool expression with a twitch of her mouth and the 7th lifted her slender shoulders in a shrug,

"It's a reasonable idea; we don't know how long he's been working on this project." The 8th eagerly nodded her head,

"Isn't it interesting that as soon as the foreigners appeared on Nishima, he took this chance to make his move? We were so bent on capturing these people that we've completely overlooked his actions."

"We?" the 2nd sneered, "the Fourth and I were the ones who sent out Kshatriya to retrieve them! I don't recall you lifting a finger to help us." She slashed a hand in the air, "the Third even had her men block off the Trunk!" she fixed a suspicious eye on the 8th and watched as the woman wilted in her seat, "What did you do?" The 7th's heart clenched and her stomach churned as the 8th sputtered,

"I-I did my part!"

"Is that so?" the Monarch lifted her glass to drink, "I agree that some of you did your duty to protect this island. However," she wiped her hands, "some of us did their part…for traitorous motives." Throttling fright strangled the 7th's throat and she forced herself to concentrate on her reflection on the spoon lying unused,

"I wonder if all of us are aware of certain pieces of information passed from my office to the Insurgence's hands." The entire room spun to a stop as everyone gaped at the Matriarch as the woman placed her hands down on either side of her plate,

"Seventh, do you have any recollection how I once described the Inner City?" Cold fear swamped the woman's senses and somehow, she heard her voice answer the Matriarch,

"The walls have eyes and ears." The words were no more than a faint whisper and the Matriarch relaxed into her seat with a sickly, sweet smile,

"I couldn't imagine who would dare to betray me. I spent night after night wracking my head wondering who had the nerve to snatch the conversations I had with the Yonko right under my nose." The tension was so thick it smothered the air as every single Brahmin including the 2nd never took their eyes off her casual gait around the room.

_*Click. Click.* _Her heels clacked against the marble tiles as the Matriarch tsked and shook her head in disappointment.

None of them dared to even breathe.

_*Click. Click.* _The footsteps sounded dangerously close to the Seventh's ear as she struggled to reign in her emotions: cold, calculating and dig-

"I decided that a breath of fresh air was the answer to clear my head so one night, I took a walk along the edges of the Houses." She pushed away from her chair and twined her hands behind her back as she circled the table, "to my surprise, I happened to chance upon one of the foreigners who had the same idea I had that night." Blood drained from her face and the 7th clenched her teeth as the woman approached her side of the table.

_*Click. Click. Click.*_

"I also happened to notice that-"

_*Clack.* _

Those wretched heels paused right next to her seat and the Brahmin nearly leaped out of her skin when a hand pressed onto her shoulder and squeezed,

"The foreigner was standing right in front of your house, my dear Alena." The world around her spun and the 7th felt her breath escape her lungs as she closed her eyes and silently bid her beloved husband, daughter, and son a farewell.

* * *

It was when they were well near the end of their second day at Nishima when Nami realized the extent of her fears. There were more people who were unhappy of the Monarch than she'd anticipated. The bars and pubs of the Inner city were usually quite crowded, but that night, only one certain lower room bustled with activity. As the artificial lights began to brighten, the Bartender's underground pub, in particular was packed full of people who were playfully jostling each other for the bartender's attention and generally increasing the already rowdy atmosphere. According to Abelard, parties and celebrations were a common theme in the Inner City so they weren't necessarily attracting the Monarch's attention.

They'd already gone over the initial scheme of the plans and had in mind to flesh out the details at a later date. Tonight, the largest tavern in the Inner City was practically stuffed to the brim with none other than Luffy in the thick of the crowd. Nami kept herself close to the entrance, plastering herself to the sidelines making sure she had her cheery smile glued on her face and even going so far as to seat herself at the far end of the pub table.

She'd practically glued herself to Robin and held the woman's arm in the loose version of a death grip as they made their way toward the long counters. Sanji had taken one look at the revealing group of dancers twirling their sashes and swaying on a table and he'd swooned on the spot. Franky had used his large bulk to shove and create a bubble of space for her and the historian as he helped the women over to a table near the entrance. The navigator couldn't help but shoot her crazy captain a small grin as Luffy and Chopper poked a pair of chopsticks up their noses and under their lower lip and did some form of demented chicken dance cackling all the while. It didn't take long till some curious Vaishya decided to join in making the scene even more comedic.

Nami released her strangle hold on her friend and gingerly perched herself onto a stool and took the offered mug from the Bartender who was well…doing his job catering to the crowd.

"Thank you." She had to raise her voice to be heard over the noise. He tipped his ear toward her for a second before he nodded and turned to wipe down another cup while chatting with another person. Her thumb smooth over the polished surface of the glass and Nami raised the beaker to her lips and drank. Liquid fire burned warm and silky down her throat and she set the cup down, ignoring the telltale tremble in her body.

She came here to demonstrate that she could conquer anything.

**_"They're all empty promises." _**

**_"You're all alone."_**

She was here to give her silly dream her equivalence of a middle finger as Nami waved at Usopp who'd been frequently checking up on her while he engaged in one of his more exaggerated stories.

"They're quite a rowdy group." Robin smiled as she rested her chin on a propped up palm and stirred her own drink,

"I wonder if they're going to be sober enough to prepare for the uprising. Judging by tonight, it's going to take them much longer to recover," Nami laughed and shifted her body closer to her nakama,

"Going by how active this Island is at night, I wouldn't be surprised if they can match the alcohol tolerance Zoro and I have." She took another swing, "but of course, I would bet on myself to win." The historian snorted softly in response.

So far, everything was going the way she'd hoped. Her body wasn't giving and any outward signs of panic and she gave nothing away of how she was feeling saved for slightly sweaty palms.

It was only when Robin patted her shoulder to get her attention and informed her that she needed to use the restroom when the navigator felt the initial touches of anxiety reveal its presence. The historian had asked her if she wanted to accompany her to the bathroom and Nami forced herself to roll her eyes and reassure her concerned friend that she'd be alright by herself for a few minutes.

Robin had no sooner left her seat unoccupied than the wave of petrifying guard slammed up around her. In the midst of the bustling and celebrating Insurgence, her meager shields had all but dissolved leaving her vulnerable and open to any interaction, physical and verbal.

_You're stronger than this. _Nami felt her insides quiver and she hastily crossed her legs and automatically straightened her shoulders, putting up a convincing front in order to prove to her crew that she could hold her own as well as anyone.

"You like to parshy?" a heavy voice, layered with liquor and alcohol breath close to her ear and Nami automatically yanked back to stare up at one of the more friendlier Vaishya grinning down at her. He was thoroughly intoxicated and with his weighty build and ignorance of personal space; any further and the man was stepping straight into her red zone. The navigator repeatedly cursed herself under her breath for abandoning her Clima Tact and gripped her drink tighter.

_Prove it to them that you can do this._

She offered him a pleasant greeting and tossed her head back to give him a blinding smile; she'd use this before to remove herself from situations when she'd been targeted as suspicious. Usually, a little tug at the collars of her shirt exposing the first few inches of her cleavage helped move her along but tonight, she didn't dare pull such an act.

"Of course I do!" Nami forced a laugh out of her throat and quickly took a gulp, welcoming the burning liquid. The man froze for a moment before he took a step towards her and tripped, nearly face-planting himself into her lap,

"Shorry." He slurred and shuffled closer when someone knocked him forward. Nami flinched and scooted back as far as her meager stool allowed her. Her voice wobbled and she cleared her throat,

"I-it's fine." She waved him aside and turned her head away, more than eager to end the conversation.

He wasn't finished.

"Wanna come outshide whith me?" the smell of beer stank the air around her and Nami bit back a yelp when his hand landed on her shoulder and he drew himself back up and pressed himself suggestively against her,

"N-no I'm a bit busy here with someone if you haven't noticed," She immediately wedged her drink and her knee between his parted legs and chest and worked to quell the nauseated urge to hurl. His bleary eyes looked around behind her and Nami inwardly screamed for Robin to finish whatever she was doing in the restroom. Above the man's bulky frame and the oblivious clamor of the crowd, she heard Usopp's angry shout of alarm and caught the distinct rumble of what could only be Zoro's voice as they began to shove people aside in order to reach her,

"You're such a preshy and sexshy lady. I thinksh we'd could go out and talksh a bit ya know?" He bent his head to push his face toward hers, "Maybe we could-" he didn't get a chance to finish when her knee shot up and nailed him straight in the balls. It was a cheap move but the sudden strike worked to put space between them.

Blackness suffocated her and Nami stumbled back, tumbling off the stool and landed on her ass,

"Stay away from me!" she hissed and the man groaned and sank onto his knees cupping his groin. He lifted his head, an angry gleam in his eye,

"You'll pay forsh that!" he bellowed and limped toward her. A scream flew out of her throat and Nami lashed out, her fist smashed into his eye and she kicked at him again. The man roared and he threw a clenched knuckle at her face only to have rubber arms stretch over his body and strangle him back. Her vision wavered and hovered on the precipice of tipping her over into the darkness and she threw an elbow out at the man's grasping hands.

_I can't breathe! I need air. I can't do this! He's going to hurt me!_ She shrieked again when arms closed over her shoulders in a restraining hold. Her hands shot up and clutched the offender, terror and fright her seized her and she let out a blood-curling screech and dug her nails into the arm, her nails scored bloody streaks into the skin that barred her. Panic blinded her from anything but the arresting terror that swept throughout her entire body.

_"Hold this bi*ch by the head! She's a feisty one ain't she!" arms locked around her chest as blunt teeth sank down into her shoulder. A pair of hands circled her throat, squeezing the breath out of her as she…_

Luffy's outraged holler accompanied by Sanji's infuriated shout had every single villager fleeing the premise as the Strawhats closed onto her in alarm. Her eyes wild, she brought her arms up and closed her hands into fists, her lips peeled back in a threatening snarl,

**"DON'T COME NEAR ME!"** her voice cracked and she whipped her head from side to side, watching them.

"Zoro let go of her!" Luffy sank down onto his knees, his joyful demeanor replaced with a grave mask of worry and confusion, "Nami I-" he stretched out his hand and Nami lashed out her hand, fingers arched in claws,

"Don't touch me." She sneered and her heart rate sped up. The arm around her tensed and she resumed her violent thrashing.

Beyond the roaring in her ears, she saw her captain draw his fist back and aim it at the man who approached her. His fist slammed into the man's chest and he was thrown back as her captain let out an enraged caterwaul followed by Sanji's own devastating kick.

_They're closing onto me. I can't breathe! I can't-._ Shouts howled over her deaf ears and Nami drew back her head and bit down onto the arm still screaming,

**"DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH ME! I'LL KILL YOU IF YOU GET CLOSE TO ME! KEEP AWAY FROM ME YOU BASTARDS!"** her back hit Zoro's torso and she threw her head back in an attempt to throw him off.

**"DAMNIT WOMAN STOP STRUGGLING! IT'S ME!"** the harsh bass raked over her ears and Nami snapped her teeth at him, breathing heavily. She kept her eyes fixated onto the perpetrator lying crumbled a few feet away from her, ready to hurl on him a world of hurt. Every bone in her body was locked tight; nothing but the overwhelming urge to fight for survival forced her body to thrash and struggle against the arms that captured her.

_"Ohh she actually bites back! Haha what'd'ya know? This b*tch likes a little pain after all." Hands slapped at her cheek as more thwacks burned the sensitive flesh of her bottom,_

_"Yo! Help me hold her down! Here! Put your arms around her shoulders, she's f*cking wiggling too much for me to put my dick in her..." _

** "NAMI! ENOUGH!"** Zoro's roar of pain pierced her ears as she continued to scream and beat at her captor. Her body was lifted into the air and she found herself swept off her feet and cradled into a large torso. She shrieked,

**"NO! NO! NO! NO!" **her head whipped from side to side in raw fear and Nami let out a cry of distress as her terror reached its breaking point. **"LEAVE ME ALONE! JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!" **Her heart seized as Nami blindly fisted her hands around the warm fabric, **"PLEASE! I'M BEGGING YOU! PLEASE!" **her throat was torn raw from her screams and Nami threw her head back to release another ear-piercing screech.

A warm hand pushed her head into the crook of a flushed neck. Her body stiffened and panic flooded her senses and Nami opened her mouth and clamped her teeth over the muscle. Her tongue tasted the iron tang of copper and she sank her incisors deeper, her nails raked down the skin, wanting to do everything she could to hurt him. The swordsman only flinched in response and tightened his grip onto her, the hand on her head brushed over her frazzled hair in a soothing caress and Nami twitched when his breath washed over her ear,

"I'll get you out of here." All the fight left her body and Nami released his arm and slumped down into his embrace feeling incredibly drained. Zoro growled something incoherent and the navigator felt her body jerk when the swordsman lifted his foot and gave the intoxicated man a kick to the head as he passed by, "don't come near her again" was the threatening rumble and she was whisked away out of the tavern and into the night air.

Only when they were a good distance away did she finally break down, her body wracked with heart-wrenching sobs and wails that she tried to bite back. She kept her face buried in the crook of Zoro's neck, hoping to muffle the sounds of distress as her chest throbbed with pain and her hands shook. Hands stroked her shaking back as she cried into his shoulder. His lips absently brushed over her temple and she felt Zoro's fingers intertwine themselves into her hair as he slowly rocked his body. Rapid footsteps crunched over the gravel, feet shifted over pebbles and hands fluttered over her back. Soft murmurs and whispers washed over her aching body and when her tears finally ceased, the navigator slowly turned her head forward to face them, her head hung low,

"I'm s-sorry." She choked out. She managed to relinquish her strangling grip on Zoro's shirt and made a move to get up when his hands wrapped around her waist and he shifted her into a more comfortable position on his lap. She ignored the trickle of warmth and safety his touch brought her and kept her eyes on the ground, furiously trying to control her emotions. She was a complete mess and she knew it. The fear that scorched her stuck to her body like a leech and the stink of the memory left a bitter taste in her mouth. The navigator sucked in a deep breath and exhaled: her slight muscles trembled as struggled to pull herself back together. A hoof on her knee lifted her head,

"Nami-"

"I'm fine." The words left her lips so quickly she wasn't sure who she was trying to reassure. They were more of a mantra and a self-reassurance than an answer. The doctor's furry brows drew up in stark concern,

"You're not fine Nami. We need to get-" She cut him off,

"No we don't, we need to help the Insurgence." She bit down the uncertain wobble of her bottom lip and straightened her shoulders, putting as much distance between her back and Zoro's chest as she could, ignoring his soft rumble of discontent, "I just need some time to pull myself together. I'll be good to go after that." The smile she gave the doctor was nothing more than brittle.

Chopper opened his mouth as if he wanted to argue but something in her broken expression made him close it. Robin gently nudged the reindeer to the side and pressed a cool hand against her sallow cheek,

"At least let us take you back to the Brahmin's house. You've had enough...excitement for today." The historian, despite her level tone, looked quite shaken herself. Her tense shoulders finally relaxed when Nami gave her a curt nod and stood up when her legs gave way and she stumbled. Zoro reached out to steady her and a pair of hands sprouted slapping them back. The swordsman shook off the sting with a scowl and Robin shot him a warning look before she helped the navigator to her feet.

Nami shook her head at Sanji's offer to carry her and slowly drew in a deep breath,

"I can walk," she whispered and the cook stepped back with a pained grimace. He glared at the tavern and muttered something under his breath when Nami forced herself to look up,

"You don't all need to go with me. Some of you need to stay back to work out the plans for tomorrow."

"F*ck plans." Franky barked and balled his fists, "we're taking you back to the Sunny and we're getting the hell outta here."

"Franky!" Usopp admonished as Luffy shouldered the sniper aside and walked up to face his navigator. Before she could react, he grabbed her hand ignoring the weary mien she gave him. He held up their clasped hands and stared directly at her,

"You'll get better right?" it wasn't a question, rather it was a solid belief spoken out loud and Nami felt her eyes flood with tears anew; her captain had a faith that could move mountains. This type of trust was no different. He relied on everyone for their strengths and possessed this unshakeable belief that his nakama could overcome anything in order to reach their dreams.

She wordlessly tightened her grip on his hand for a second before she allowed gravity to drag it away. Obsidian orbs burned into hers for a moment and Luffy nodded and smashed his hat back over his head. He spun around and marched back toward the bar,

"Come on everyone! Let's go back already! Chopper and Robin can take care of her!" The men gaped at their captain,

"Are you crazy? We're going back with her!" Sanji yanked the cigarette out of his mouth and opened his mouth to continue when his captain laughed and turned to grin at him,

"She doesn't need to be babied!" For the first time that night, the first flickers of strength touched the heavy weights curled around her body and Nami shook her head and took a fortifying breath,

"He's right Sanji, Robin and Chopper are more than enough." The cook snapped his jaw shut in an obvious sign of displeasure and he turned to follow Luffy. On the way, he snagged Zoro by the back of his belly warmer and hauled him along with him. The man swore and wrestled out of the chef's grip as gentle hands ushered Nami toward the path that led to Housing. She felt that searing eye inspect her back and refrained from turning around as his studying gaze left her trembling body and he plodded after the rest of the Strawhats.

"Wait; let me get the house keys from Faith." Chopper morphed into his long legged form and darted back toward the tavern. The historian wrapped her arms around her female companion and stroked a soothing rhythm down her back,

"Robin?" her voice was barely above a whisper,

"Yes Nami-san?" the older woman's own tone was surprisingly steady as Nami rested her head against her shoulder,

"Y-you guys will catch me right?" the tremble in her voice had Robin's hold on her tightened a fraction,

"Of course we will." Nami took comfort from the woman who'd slowly built herself up to become a resilient pillar of support and clung onto her nakama. She squeezed back another wave of tears and held onto her friend as tight as she could while her heart splintered apart into millions of pieces and whirled away into the empty night sky.

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**I knew another long chapter was going to come back and bite me. *wipes sweat* Whew! Happy Late Fourth of July Everyone! I was going to drop a short spin-off to celebrate Independence Day but i decided to take a break so perhaps when it rolls around next year haha.**

**I hope Revealed was to your satisfaction! If you want to rage at me for putting our poor navigator through this well...leave a comment or pm me if you have any questions.**

**Happy Writing guys!**


	32. Chapter 32 Resolute

**Resolute**

**I hope you've enjoyed Revealed because here's the next one!**

**HOLY MOLY! I'VE REACHED OVER 100,000 WORDS! THIS IS THE FIRST STORY THAT HAS REACHED OVER 100K! *SQUEEEEEE!*TIME TO GO AND CELEBRATE BY MYSELF HAHAHA!**

**One piece belongs to Oda and the concept belongs to Hanzatsu-Hime**

**Thank you readers for reviewing!  
**

**Wolf-X26: It was actually quite difficult for me to write that scene.I couldn't imagine what she was going through but i could definitely see the scene play out in my mind. It was all about translating that into words that made it hard. But yes, i believe that pain has bled onto our swordsman who has no idea how do deal with it. Perhaps this chapter will soothe your hope of how much Zoro needs Nami right now.**

**jolphuong: I hope that you were content with that chapter and this one also brings you some fulfillment for ZoNa. I actually intended to only have humor, angst and romance to be worked into this story but somehow, this turned out to be a lot bigger than i thought haha. Thank you so much for the support! I'll be taking a sip of that Arizona! *sips***

**The song _"What Are Words" covered by ThePianoGuys_ really helped me get through this chapter. I intend to put up a _Retribution Playlist_** **at the end of this story along with author notes of which songs go with which chapter or scene (yes i was quite detailed). So here are one of the songs that inspired this chapter!**

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Anger has no words. It is a sudden blast of fuel that drives a single thought to action.

Anger has no morals. It is a flurry of chaotic and volatile sentiments that screams to be displayed. It thrashes at any walls thrown up to prevent it from bursting out and lays low like a sleeping beast until its chains are released.

It is a raptor's claws that digs and digs till it scrapes past sinew and bone and surrounds its miserable prey's pitiful heart in its grasp.

And it never lets go.

It holds on. It clings to the emotion with a reprisal that is almost punishing. From there, it proceeds to tear those wicked claws and wreck a havoc of fury and chaos till its victim finds itself spiraling towards its own damnation. It fans a burning ember till it is alighted in the very flames of the most primitive emotion known to man.

Those very claws were now digging on a collision course to the swordsman's heart. And once it reaches its destination, all hell would break loose.

Zoro nearly unhinged when he saw the one emotion he hated and detested to his very core show its face. The one, single sentiment that had once flashed very briefly over Nami's strained expression when he saw her clutching the damn cook's back. That reaction was back and in full throttle. It was plastered all over her face and body till she reeked with it.

Her screams - he'd never forget her agonized cries - as she crouched like a cornered animal willing to lash her talons at anyone who dared to approach her.

The way she fought against his embrace. The way she cringed and cried and shielded herself from his touch-

It was one of the most painful things he'd ever experienced.

During that very moment, the instant when those sweet orbs turned upon him with such striking terror it almost killed him, he'd allowed himself to feel the first glimpses of fear.

This wasn't the woman he'd known two years ago.

He didn't know this person. He could barely recognize the fiery, assertive and buoyant lover he'd laugh and rough and tumble with in and out of the bedroom sheets. The vibrant female, who didn't hesitate to snap back at him with her fists, and the woman who possessed a sharp wit and an equally sharp mouth he longed to kiss, devour and lose himself in for as long as he still breathed.

She used that mouth to scream and curse him.

She used her fists to beat at him.

Not in anger, but in fear.

It f*cking hurt. It hurt so much he found himself fisting the fabric that covered his chest as his lungs burned for air. Zoro's head spun and it took every discipline he possessed to pull himself together.

_It wasn't that he hated her, he just didn't trust her especially when he found that that she was a conniving witch and a thief and a burglar to boot. _

_He hated how she managed to weasel her way into the crew and take advantage of him so easily. _

_She was a backstabbing witch who would do anything to save herself._

_That thought only solidified when she grabbed him by the back of his shirt in Syrup Village and used him as a human platform to get herself out of the slippery oil. _

_With his face smashed straight into the oil, his entire body drenched in the greasy lubricant, the urge for retribution struck hard as sandals scrambled over his back and the navigator leaped out of the obstacle,_

_"__Thanks!" the cheery shout only pissed him off even more as his tried to futilely drag himself out of the glop only to slide back even further down the hill,_

**_"_****_I'M GOING TO KILL YOU NAMI!"_**_he griped as the infuriating minx turned to face him. _

_Money: that was all the stupid woman cared about. Money, money money._

_She was seriously going straight into his blacklist. _

_He hated her even more when he realized that she was in allegiance to the infamous Arlong that plagued her village. The prick of betrayal and stabbing rage that engulfed his body at the devious smirk on her face bled down over him as Zoro wrestled with his tied arms. _

_That devious mask cracked for a split second when the arrogant fishmen called her out, revealing her identity as a woman who would do anything –even denounce her family- for the sake of money._

_That slight crack struck him and took root as Zoro observed the quick rush of pain before she concealed it._

_It bothered him. He'd labeled her as a conniving witch, a feminine terror, someone he could never bring himself to trust. _

_That aggrieved expression forced him to see her in an entirely new light. There was something about the elusive navigator that he couldn't pinpoint just yet. The façade she put up when she forced him to read between the lines brought more light to her puzzling connotation. It was then when he saw it, recognized it._

_And decided to test it._

_Grudging respect. That's what Zoro gave her after she pulled him out of the pool. The wicked grin of triumph on his face and the look of aha! he threw at her made that impenetrable wall erected around her falter._

_And right then and there, the swordsman made it his mission to tear that barrier down. He was going to peel it back, wall by wall till he exposed her completely to him, bare and exquisitely vulnerable._

_It took him a blasted two years but he was so close…so very, very close._

His wandering mind returned the second Zoro stepped back inside the bustling bar and the threatening desire to put a hole into the wall or more preferably, the drunken assailant's face rushed into him with vengeance. It was a live wire filled with the most basic and primal urge and from the dark look on Sanji's face and the look of resentment stemming off the rest of the Strawhats, they weren't too far off the mark either.

His captain was the only one who maintained that easygoing smile that made Zoro want to shake him and add another scar to his face just to piss him off. He wanted everyone to be angry. Zoro immediately quashed the murderous thought and had to mentally command himself to remove his twitching hand from his swords. The ashamed and abashed countenance the hunched male Vaishya wore did little to appease the swordsman's temper.

He wanted blood. Again, the very slight hum of dark energy emanating from Shusui was a testament of that fine line of control he reined over his own monstrous strength. The tension between the Strawhats and the Insurgence ran tense as every member turned their gaze away from the Strawhat's fuming anger.

When the Bartender pushed his way out of the crowd with a rolled map in his fists and his expression slightly off kilter, Zoro shoved that anger deep, deep down inside his chest and seethed,

"Alright, I'm sure everyone's properly buzzed and satisfied with tonight," he cast an apologetic glance at Zoro's smoldering gaze as Abelard and another member dragged a table over to the center of the room. With weighty mugs securing the curled corners of the map, the Bartender beckoned over another man with broad features, a stout body and bright blue eyes hooded by heavy set brows. "This is my second in command Vinson, he'll be leading the second wave which will take place when we ambush the suspending staircases." He leveled bleary eyes on everyone in the room, "you've all gathered here hoping for a change, do not expect all of you to be leaving this battlefield in one piece." He paused for a breath, "I hope you have given yourselves a backbone and written out your wills," a faint smile touched his battle-hardened mouth and he briefly looked at Abelard, "I know I have." There was a soft murmur of consent as drinks were set down and every single citizen in the Insurgence straightened their drink induced bodies and stared resolutely at him. Some swayed in their stance and others staggered in place but situated on every face was the look of fierce determination; they were ready.

A woman with her hair pulled back in a soft bun stepped out of the crowd. Judging by her rather scandalous outfit, she'd been one of the dancers on the table. Her makeup was slightly smeared from the sweat built up as she reached out to wrap her arms around the Bartender's waist and tiptoed to plant a kiss onto his cheek,

"I know I speak for all of us when I say thank you for everything you've done for us." She pulled back and gazed up at him, "we may not know your origins or where you came from, but you have our undying loyalty and our thanks. If there is anything you wish from us, you need not do anything but ask." An indecipherable emotion flashed across the Bartender's face and he coughed into his fist before he filled his lungs with air,

"Thank you." His voice sounded suspiciously thick as he turned back to the splayed map, "Now then, here's how it's going to play out…"

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Zoro trudged back with the rest of the Strawhats including Faith to the 7th Brahmin's dwelling. Tonight had taken more than an emotional toll on him and he had to admit after the countless numbers of beers he'd down in the past hour, he was actually a bit tipsy. After he stumbled over an uneven patch of cement for the fifth time, Usopp muttered something and tucked his arm under the swordsman's armpits and became his crutch for the last hundred feet.

"I can't believe you're drunk," the sniper sniffed as he led Zoro to the kitchen where he plopped him down onto a chair with a huff, "this is the first time I've seen you inhibited."

"Just a little bit," Zoro muttered as his legs stuck haphazardly out in front of him and he rubbed the bridge of his nose; he needed the alcohol to numb the f*cking agony stabbing his mind. Because of his extremely high tolerance for liquor, he had to drink enough to put down at least four elephants to stop the clamoring. Usopp snorted as he washed his hands,

"A little bit? After what, guy number fifteen collapsed, you were tripping around and snarling at everyone in the room," He folded his arms, "you even tried to stab the man who approached Nami in the face and threatened to string him to a tree by his intestines." Had he? He didn't quite remember the details but the thought of dragging the drunk f*ck out of the Bartender's house by his esophagus and choking his lacerated neck with his small intestine was beginning to sound appealing. Usopp caught the stray thought and pointed at him with a bandaged finger,

"Don't even think about it." He warned, "He wasn't in any position to be thinking clearly." Zoro growled and smashed a clenched fist onto the table's polished surface,

"He would've never been able to put his hands on her if she wasn't there in the first place. Why do we even listen to her?" frustration dove and tugged back up the multitude of feelings to the forefront. In his smashed state, he didn't have a steady grip on his tongue let alone his tumultuous emotions, "her stubborn ass is only going to get her killed out there," the tendons on the swordsman's neck stood out as he shot to his feet, staving off the slight unbalance of his legs as he headed for the door; if he didn't turn his rage onto something, he was going to go insane,

"If you let that anger fester, it's only going to tear you apart." Usopp's voice rose and Zoro ignored him and reached for the knob, "please Zoro."

"What." He didn't mean to snap but he was already on edge and his hands itched for his weights; the steady pressure on his body had faithfully kept his own demons at bay and worked him till he could think of nothing else but his goal. Usopp tossed a balled up paper towel at him,

"We both know that you're trying to drink yourself out of misery," he eyed the red flush on Zoro's neck, "that thing is only temporary," Zoro snarled at his friend and brought his thumbs to his temples,

"I know that." Exhaustion shook him to his bones and he felt his body weave as Usopp rushed toward him just before his own legs gave way, "so…tired," he mumbled and the sniper grunted and he felt his heavy body dragged over the floor,

"I've got you Zoro. Just rest, I've got you." He was just so tired, he could barely keep his eyes open when he heard Sanji's cross expletive and his hefty torso nestled into firm hands and he was lifted in the air and lowered onto a mattress,

"Shitty Marimo, you're actually drunk?" the blatant surprise in Sanji's voice provided Zoro enough strength to kick at the man,

"No, I'm not," was the pathetic denial and the cook snorted and threw a cover over his slack body,

"Go to sleep. I'm sure you're going to love yourself tomorrow." The light snapped off and he was unable to resist the pressure on his eyes and he gratefully lost conscious.

There was only one problem.

He woke up.

**HE. WOKE. UP.**

The first thought that popped into the swordsman's head was "what the f*ck?"

The second contemplation was, "has Oda finally lost his mind?"

Once Zoro slept, he _never_ woke up unless someone was there to beat the sleep out of him. Zoro squinted at the clock on the wall; how long did he sleep? An hour? Two hours? Again, that ache in his chest returned and Zoro blindly felt for his swords as the man tottered out of his bed when the throbbing in his chest increased.

_She was the cause of this. _Zoro's hand closed over all three of his weapons and he drew them over his chest and tried to breathe.

His swords were a living extension of his arm. They protected him, bled for him, unleashed his anger and were one of the sole supports he relied on to drive him towards his ambition. They leashed him to the ground and kept him as sane as he waded from the beginning to the end of his life.

But they couldn't protect him from himself. Zoro was not suicidal, but this foreign dagger that was splitting his heart in two felt as if he'd turn his swords onto himself. His head hurt and he gripped onto his weapons all the tighter. He needed something…anything to take this pain off his hands. He had no idea how to handle it. The alcohol had long filtered out of his system leaving that raw aching more prominent than ever. He may not know what this pain was, but he damn sure knew who the cause of it was.

_F*cking witch. _He swore softly when the pain ripped right through him and Zoro gasped and collapsed against the doorframe. His fingers bunched the fabric around his heart and Zoro felt his trembling legs move in trance to the room across from his.

He didn't stop. His body continued to bring him forward as Zoro all but staggered over to the bed on the far side of the room, rounded it and nearly buckled onto it. His knees hit the floor with a soundless thud as Zoro pressed his chest and shoulder onto the creased folds of the blanket. His hands sightlessly sought out for that familiar body and encountered the silky flesh of her arm. Unsteady hands wrapped fervently around a slender wrist and Zoro dragged Nami's arm from under the blanket and pressed it to his quivering mouth.

He hated her for what he'd become. He loved her for the realization that he cared so much that his own heart wept for her.

The navigator must have been completely drained because she didn't move even when Zoro hauled himself closer to her body and with a shaky breath, pressed his nose into the crook of her neck, breathing in the warm scent of her, bathing in her sleeping presence.

Peace. Blissful and soothing and heavenly peace. It enveloped his body like a tidal wave. A calming balm to the gut-ripping anger that swept away as soon as he touched her, it melted from him and Zoro buried his face into her as his stiff muscles finally unlocked. She had a nook between her shoulder and collarbone he loved to rest his head in, in the post-coital serenity. There, she'd stroke the short ends of his hair and run her fingers over his back as he basked in the warm afterglow. They did nothing but lie skin over skin, their hands idly drawing lines on one another's bodies, mouths lazily brushing over each other, shooting amused and teasing jabs that left them chuckling till the long night drew to an end.

He didn't realize just how much he needed that skin to skin with her. Long had he'd gone without her. Tonight, he could no longer bear it.

He flattened his mouth onto her bare collarbone and closed his eyes, his fingers intertwining with hers and Zoro pushed himself as close as he dared against her skin. It was then that he could close his eyes and breathe. His swords banged against his hip and his clothes rubbed uncomfortably against his shoulders. The swordsman moved back to allow himself to loosen his shift till his shoulders breached the air and he let out a content sigh when the hard planes of his skin brushed hers. She'd gone to bed in nothing but a slim tank top, leaving plenty of her flesh bare for him.

_"__Just for a few minutes, I'll get up in a few minutes." _He thought and he tightened his hold onto her hand and Zoro slipped away blessedly into oblivion for the next few hours.

The aching had finally ceased.

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**Thank you for reading!**


	33. Chapter 33 Ramification

**Ramification**

**_"But if there is any further injury, then you shall appoint as a penalty life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise."_**

**_~Exodus 21:23-25_**

**Disclaimer: One Pieces is the property of Oda-sensei and the concept belongs to Hanzatsu-Hime**

**Thank you to you reviewers!**

**Hanzatsu-Hime: I couldn't see Zoro throwing a murderous tantrum in public. But i could definitely see him try to do something when tipsy. In the end, i decided not to have him throw a fit and give you guys some much needed ZoNa time especially after everything that occurred so far. They're going to need it for what i have planned for them in the future. **

**Mistress of Dragons: (31): *Gasp* what has become of the 7th? Um...errr...well...let's see... she got mindwashed and um..turned into a broccoli! Yea! That's what happened! ****(32): I'm pretty sure all of you readers are going a bit stir-crazed for some ZoNa moments haha. Well...i must say your expectations of how Nami will wake up will be met with some disappointment in this chapter. I've never experienced a hangover before but if i were to be a fullout drunk, i'd probably be a loud and chattering drunk :). Hangovers don't sound too appealing though and i heard that you were suppose to have food in your stomach before you drink? So mint oreos didn't do the trick? **

**jessjulieeeee:** **Do they? :D *whispers* i think so too!**

**jolphuong: which series? One Piece? or this one? :) Have patience! I gave this story a rating of M for a reason right? ;) well...besides the trigger that is...**

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He was up by the time the lights dimmed and the artificial substitution for the sun's rays indicating morning filtered in through the blinds.

Well…

It was more like the overwhelming urge to throw up surged up the swordsman's throat and Zoro shot up from his cramped position and nearly hurled the contents of last night's drinking on the carpet as the man scrambled toward the bathroom.

It didn't help that the historian had heard his floundering and got up to see him with his head halfway in the toilet puking his guts up. The man groaned when a hand soundly slapped the back of his head,

"What was that for?" he growled, his fingers curled over the rim of the bowl as air sawed in and out of his mouth, hoping that the nausea would soon pass. The uncomfortable stiffness in his shoulders and the needles in his arms had the swordsman gingerly pushing himself back to lean his head against the wall with a drained sigh. He heard Robin flush the toilet as he stretched his legs out and squeezed his eyes shut,

"You were drinking." The soft accusation was layered with disapproval. Zoro shakily wiped his mouth with the back of his wrist and grunted,

"S'not something new." Robin crossed her arms and canted her weight to one side of her hip,

"It's new when you're drinking to numb your body." The swordsman gave a noncommittal shrug as he shoved himself to his feet and twisted the handles to splash his face. He raised his head and blinked water out of his eye, mumbled thanks and took the offered towel. The historian tsked,

"Don't try to shrug it off Zoro, it's unlike you to sneak over to her bed in the middle of the night. You haven't done that ever since the reunion at Archipelago." The man stayed silent for a moment,

"You're too perceptive." He muttered and Robin smirked,

"You didn't think I could hear you when you snuck into the women's quarters for four nights in a row to drag Nami-san out of her bed? You weren't exactly discreet." the swordsman winced: Nami had dared him one night when the crew had been endlessly sailing to see how many times he could successfully maneuver out of the men's dorm and smuggle her out to the crews nest for a midnight "rendezvous" in a given week.

He succeeded for four nights straight.

On the fifth day, she'd become such a f*cking tease that he couldn't think past his throbbing cock and the growing hunger in his chest. No amount of backbreaking workouts could quell the urge to punish her for the quick, little flashes she'd been flaunting at him the entire day. He'd completely forgotten that the Strawhat's routinely nightshift was Sanji that night when he snuck out.

It was a morbidly memorable night to say the least.

That night, Zoro, for the first time, was on the verge of becoming a fried Marimo.

The teasing and snickers went on for weeks afterward. It was only when Nami took up the hobby of strangling crewmates when it finally died down.

"Don't remind me," Zoro tried to shake the faint ringing in his ears as his mind grew foggier by the second. Nothing escaped the historian's keen eyes and she quickly spun around,

"I'll get you some water, you're dehydrated." the man muttered another thank you as his eyesight watered and the room tilted upside down. The light, even somewhat dim, didn't help the stabbing pain exploding in his eye,

_"__Too bright."_ he slapped a hand over both eyes and worked to tune out the pounding in his ears when a hand shoved a cup of water between his parched lips,

"Drink." He obeyed, chugging the liquid in mouthfuls and pushed the historian's hand away with a sigh of relief as the queasiness in his stomach bypassed him. He blew out a breath and sagged against the wall, silently expressing his gratitude toward Robin when she reached up to snap off the lights,

"What's bothering you Zoro-san?" the swordsman turned his face away at the gentle inquiry in the woman's voice. The fine tendons along the back of his callous hands twitched as Zoro stared up at the ceiling. His voice grated his throat as the words came out in a husky rasp of air,

"I was so proud of her when I saw her kick the f*cker." Robin's pants rustled against each other as the historian moved to mimic his position, "I hated that he made her so afraid, but I saw-

"You saw a bit of her old self come back." He nodded "but?" the swordsman hesitated; the truth was on the tip of his tongue but the thought of saying it aloud was unbearable.

"When she-" the words jumbled around in a tangled mess that fit in all the wrong angles and Zoro gritted his teeth, "when she fought against me…" the words died from his lips and he snapped his mouth shut with an audible click of his teeth. Cool fingertips touched his arm,

"She's traumatized Zoro. We're not exempted from how she reacts. Take it slow; be patient. She'll come to you at her own pace." He hung his head at the sympathy in Robin's voice. His next words were so low his crewmate had to bend her head to hear him,

"Even at me?" was that pathetic, on-the-verge-of-a-breakdown voice his? He mentally winced as Robin let out a heavy sigh,

"Even at you Zoro-san, you're no exception either."

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Luffy stuffed an entire leg into one side of his face, the elastic skin giving way to the intrusion and his cheek bulged out as the man set his teeth to work. He reached out to grab another leg from Sanji's plate only to return with stinging hands,

"Ow…" he mumbled and the cook scowled at him,

"Finish the one in your mouth and the ones on your plate first," he carefully slid the bowl of broth in front of Nami, "just as you requested Nami-san," the navigator gave him a small smile and balances the spoon between her fingers,

"Thank you Sanji," she said quietly as the chef hummed and twirled around to serve Robin. Luffy carefully eyed his ginger-haired friend as he chewed on the slightly overcooked meat; he didn't really like dwell on his companion's bland enthusiasm or lack thereof, but the way she picked at her bowl bothered him and his still rumbling stomach.

"You gotta eat something Nami." He grudgingly picked up one of the legs from his plate and held it out to her. When she dismissively waved her hand away, Luffy gaped; who the hell would turn down meat? He even graciously offered her one of his own! He set the drumstick back on his plate and continued to stare at her? It affected how she ate? The captain instantly felt terrible as he inwardly shuddered; she'd been hurt to the point where food became unappetizing to her. That, in his book, was on par with death by starvation, which was one of his biggest fears.

The attack was sudden. There was no warning other than the mad rattle of the doorknob in the front door. All heads turn curiously at the sound of the foreboding thunder when the hinges, with a groan, gave way and the door shattered to pieces. Every single muscle in Luffy's body coiled and the rubberman launched onto his feet when a menacing rumble shook the entire house as a large wrecking ball swings straight at them. He was in the air, his mouth wide open as Luffy immediately sucked mouthfuls of air into his body as his entire torso expanded in time for the wrecker to smash straight into his distended stomach. His teeth tightly clamped onto his bottom lip, Luffy tightened his abdomen, power rippled into his elastic body and with a huff of air, he sent the ball rocketing back to its owner.

He landed on the balls of his feet just as rows of bullets left their barrels.

"Duck!" the distinct click of Franky's cannons had Luffy rolling onto the ground as a lazarbeam of light shot over his head. It took less than a second for them to retaliate. Luffy made a face as his skin stretched when the bluntly pointed end of four cartridges tried to drill themselves into his body. He vaulted over the bullet riddled table just as Franky upended the entire surface to block the next wave of ammunition.

"W-what's going on?!" Usopp yelped as he dove behind the table. Energy and a rush of adrenaline course into the captain's body and Luffy shot forward as a flash of green and blue raced in front of his vision,

"Enbima Yonezu Oni Giri!"

"Party Table Cuisse Shot!"

Black feet and shining blades sliced downward in a devastating spiral that sent every single Kshatriya spinning out of control. Enraged roars kicked up dust and chaos and Luffy landed onto his feet just as Franky emerged from his hasty barricade with his metal arms wrapped around Nami and Robin's waist

"Why are they attacking us?!" he bellowed and the cyborg took off in a dead run toward the cleared path,

"Go! Go! Get them to the Bartender!" Luffy raced out the door and skidded to a stop as his eyes bulged out.

The Inner City was engaged in a civil war. Groggy citizens were dragged out of their houses and thrown to the ground as hordes of Kshatriyas surrounded them. From the swarms and staccato marching of Kshatriya in the background and the outraged cries blowing up among the residents of Vaishya being rounded up out of their houses, the Monarch was on a mission to snuff the rebellion out.

They took to the roofs, Franky powering on ahead as Sanji, Zoro and Brook stayed on the ground uprooting any obstacles that stood in their way. Usopp clambered onto Chopper's back and unleashed pellet after pellet at any stray bullets and cannons whizzing toward them. They reached the Bartender's place and Franky, without any hesitation, pointed his shoulder at the door and barreled it down. Sanji reared a leg back and aimed it at the stone wall behind the counter,

"Shishinabe Shoot!" the packed wall blasted apart and the cook kicked the chipped rocks aside and headed down the stairs.

Abelard was tied to a chair, his blonde hair stained with grime, his face badly bruised and his clothes torn to shreds.

The Bartender was gone.

"Abelard!" Luffy blinked as the boy began to struggle in earnest, his sounds muffled by the tape pressed against his mouth. The young lad's eyes were wide open as Chopper rushed over to rip the tape off his mouth and cut the ropes bound around him. Just as the reindeer finished stripping away the tape, the boy spat out the taste, his eyes suddenly popped open in alarm and he screamed,

"Behind you!" Luffy spun around, ready to intercept the blow when it happened.

Pain struck his mind, forcing him to his knees as the captain, with a loud cry of agony, crumbled to his knees. It was as if someone had drilled a wrench into his head and proceeded to sift into his mind with a dull spade, dragging out pieces of information and blowing his mind to smithereens. He managed to raise his head to glare at two women standing a foot apart, their hands splayed out, fingers curled and the Strawhat howled.

The whistling sound of a blade coming down and the women let out a surprised cry when Law lunged and swung his blade. The women with gray orbs reached down and drew her blade in time to parry the blow. She let out a shout and brought both hands gripping onto her sword down onto Trafalgar's head and the surgeon jerked back and raised his own weapon to block. Under a blurry haze of pain, Luffy gripped his head and tore at his hair, the drill drove deeper into his mind while everyone around him writhed and groaned on the ground.

"These are the foreigners Second Seat?" a pointed heel kicked his ribs and he immediately reached out and wound his arm over her calf and around her ankle,

"Make…this…stop," he gritted his teeth when she raised her other heel to slam the flat portion of her shoe onto his cheek while the sharp stiletto digging painfully into his temple.

"You think this is hurts?" Her blood red lips parted and she chuckled. A sneer touched the corners of her mouth and the woman raised her hand to clench her fist.

She froze.

The long, thin, dagger end of a blade rested on the women's swanlike throat. The curved edge glinted off the light and traveled down to a threaded handle held by a violently trembling hand. Luffy lifted his head and grinned; he knew he could count on his crew,

"Take your foot off my captain…Brahmin." Zoro growled. Sweat dripped down the unalleged first mate's neck as the swordsman flexed his arm and kept his hand as steady as possible. The Brahmin's eyes were wide in shock and she reached for the coiled rope holstered at her hip. Zoro jabbed his blade forward and she stepped back only to jerk to stop by Luffy's vice grip onto her ankle,

"Release me you disgusting cretin. And that's Third Seat to you intruder." She hissed and Zoro let out a warning rumble just as a heavy body flew into his back, throwing him off balance. The man yelled as Law stumbled to his feet,

"What makes you think some bum f*ck can lay a hand on me?" the blonde with leaden eyes dove and stabbed as Trafalgar cursed and slicked his own sword to bar her from slicing his head off.

"Why do I have to do deal with this?" the surgeon swore when Zoro shoved him back and pushed him forward,

"You trying to lop my head off with your flailing doc?" he growled. The doctor said nothing but flipped Zoro the bird before sidestepping. Luffy shouted when pain cracked a blistering welt on the swordsman's cheek and the man jerked back with a start.

"Let go of me!" The Brahmin stomped onto his arm but the captain held on for dear life. He groaned when the mind-numbing agony began to wring his brain like a wet towel,

**"****NO!"** he screamed when it felt as if his head was about to split in two. The Third twisted her body and lashed out with her whip to strike Zoro's hunched and unprotected back just as a pair of hands sprouted from the swordman's spine and seized the end of the whip.

"Cinco Fleur!" two hands formed into fists just as the rest promptly wrapped themselves around her neck. Two fists curled back to land the Third a rather nasty punch to the eyes and the woman screeched,

"Robin!" Luffy shouted as the historian staggered to her feet, her legs shook and her tall frame swayed only to be held up by the weak shunt from Franky's hand. Nico Robin panted as she raised her head to look at the wailing Brahmin clutching her neck.

"What-what are you doing to a fellow woman!?" she rasped and Robin lifted her chin,

"Gender means nothing to me when my crewmates are harmed." Her hands drew tighter as the Brahmin narrowed her dark eyes onto the paramecia,

"You would turn against your own gender for these pathetic men?" disbelief colored her tone and Robin raised a brow,

"I wouldn't hesitate to." Her fingers clenched, "Clutch!" her hands proceeded to bear down onto the Fourth, pressing down onto her jugular till with a choked gurgle, the Third slumped and collapsed. A blaring bellow pierced the room and the historian couldn't turn her body away in time to dodge the streaking point of the Second's sword as the blade plunge straight into her back,

**"****YOU F*CKING B*TCH!"** In that moment, over Law's startled holler and Franky and Sanji's own infuriated roar, the captain saw red.

He snapped, his muscles sucked in all the air he could muster and the Strawhat launched to his feet when blinding light jolted the air with electricity and a bolt of lightning struck the Second directly in the face,

"Thunderbolt Tempo!" Luffy spun around as his arm billowed out and darkened to pure obsidian, the size blowing the roof apart and he turned to see Nami bracing herself heavily against her Clima Tact, her eyes wide in alarm and she wobbled toward Robin. The Second Brahmin's mouth gaped open and she let out the cry of a banshee as she yanked the blade out of Robin's body. The historian's hissed out a distressed breath before her strength left her and she fell forward just as Luffy leaped into the air his arm cocked back, ready to unload his rage onto the woman,

**"****GOMU GOMU NO GIGANT-"** anger darted up into his arm, bolstering him till he was humming with such malevolence it was terrifying,

**"****LUFFY NO!" **Zoro threw himself in front of the Second as Sanji forcefully shoved himself onto his feet and lunged at his captain,

**"****DON'T YOU DARE HIT A WOMAN YOU SHITTY CAPTAIN!" **The cook's leg burned a blazing light as he spun and kicked the flat of his foot against the bulged wrist just as Luffy's knuckles collided with Zoro's swords.

An explosion rivaling a minor earthquake shook the entire ground and Luffy dropped to the shaking floor, glowering at the Brahmin,

**"****CHOPPER! TRAFFY! HELP HER!"** He gritted his teeth as Law wrapped an arm around Robin's waist and cautiously lowered her to the ground; he quickly tore off her collared top, exposing the wound.

"Operation." A dim light emitted from his palms and the surgeon pressed his hand against the gaping hole in her back as sweat beaded down Robin's face and the woman struggled to bite back a cry of pain.

"I have my bag!" Chopper rushed over and began yanking out gauze and thick pads of cotton and alcohol,

"Give her something to numb the area around the hole." Law ordered as streams of blood flowed past his whitened fingers and followed the slim dip of her lower back before pooling onto the ground.

"R-R-Robin-san!" Brook sobbed as the musician and Sanji knelt beside their crewmate, their expressions stricken with anguish,

"I won't be able to staunch all of the blood; she'll need a transfusion as soon as possible." Law warned and Chopper worked furiously to wind the padded gauze around his nakama's back,

"The Medical Center is on the Western Side," Chopper sniped the roll and secured the ends with steel latches, "this is bandage isn't going to hold long till she bleeds over it." He grimaced, "I hope the hospital has type S blood bags," The surgeon rose to his feet and stepped back to allow the cyborg to bend down and carefully cradle Robin to his chest,

"Chopper and I have gone over to the West side before, we'll take her there." He nodded to the rest, "You guys go on ahead and find the Bartender-" he stopped when Faith tripped onto her feet, her eyes wide in fright and she clutched her head,

"My mother." She whispered hollowly, "they told me the Monarch has my mother." She whipped around to face them, "and my brother! He's at school! I need to get my brother!" the Vaishya whimpered and Luffy felt his lungs burn as he drew in a breath,

"We'll save your mom Faith, the Bartender and your brother too." the captain straightened his Straw hat on his head and stared up through the hole at the mocking arches suspended above the destruction,

"Monarch, we're coming for you next."


	34. Chapter 34 Rend

**Rend**

**_While seeking revenge, dig two graves—one for yourself._**

**_—Douglas Horton_**

**If I worked my schedule out properly, you can expect at least one chapter per week on either Tuesday or Wednesday. **

**At least till August 22 that is...**

**I do not own One Piece, it belongs to Oda and the beginning concept belongs to Hanzatsu-Hime **

**Thank you again to you wonderful reviewers and readers! Other than my enjoyment for writing, you guys are the ones that keep me going!**

** Sakurasencha: (3): Thank you so much for leaving a comment! yes i've had quite a bit of grammar mistakes that should be corrected but you know writers...we tend to get a bit lax when i comes to returning to former chapters. I do blame autocorrect for all those semicolons though. (4): I hoped i portrayed the emotions correctly and that you understood it! (5): Actually, chapter 1 would've been perfectly fine you to read, it was Chapter 2 when things get a bit tense but it was my fault for you informing you so i do apologize.**

**jolphuong: I thought you meant Oda haha. I hope you get a chance to be acquainted with her character, especially with the flashback in this chapter.**

**Mistress of Dragons: If clarify for ALL of you if ANY of you were confused:**

**The 8th, 7th, 6th, and 5th Brahmin are_ ALL DOUBLE AGENTS_. The rest of them side with the Monarch (1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th)**

**Haha regardless of whether the woman are on the antagonist or not, Sanji would not let ANY WOMEN to be hurt if he could help it, hence the reason why he blocks Luffy's attack. And i can't see Zoro allowing his captain to turn the Second Seat Brahmin into a pulp. **

**Luffy shares his food! Hallelujah! **

**DYL0103: Thank you! I try to make sure there's a good balance to move both their relationship and the plot so that we can keep going till we reach the end! :)**

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**Songs that inspired and meshed with this chapter:**

**Lost Stars: Jungkook (Cover)**

**Rise: Katy Perry**

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She spat out a clot of blood and worked her jaw before slumping back in her chains. Her long hair was nearly shorn off, the robes displaying her title stripped from her. The Seventh uttered a soft groan when her aching limbs protested just as two Kshatriyas entered her cell, unlocked her chained wrists and slapped another pair over them before they dragged her down the dim hallway and to the tower.

One, two, one, two, up the stone stairs they marched. She kept her head lowered and her eyes fixated onto the polished, rugged surface as her mind flashed through a whirlwind of memories that took her back in time.

_"__Faith and Richard. Defective." The words struck an unsteady discord in her heart. Her throat seized and her heart rammed so hard against her ribcage she was surprised they didn't buckle under the pressure. _

_"__No." Alena's hands covered her mouth in horror and her hands reached out to grab Richard's arm. Her husband's stricken face mirrored her own and she swore she saw grey hairs sprout from under his dark locks as he clasped her own hands,_

_"__Sweetheart." His voice broke and Alena whipped her head back and forth, _

_"__No! __**NO! IT'S NOT POSSIBLE! NO!" **__her frantic screech of anguish fell on deaf ears as two men planted a hand over Richard's shoulders. An indescribable emotion gripped her body as her heart tore to pieces and Alena wrapped herself around her daughter,_

**_"_****_SHE'S MY DAUGHTER! PLEASE! DON'T TAKE HER AWAY FROM ME TOO!" _**_Loud, choking sobs ripped from her chest as rough hands wretched her shoulders and she hugged her daughter all the tighter, __**"PLEASE! I'M BEGGING YOU! THERE MUST BE SOME MISTAKE! SHE'S JUST A CHILD!"**__ Faith's frightened cries stained her shirt as her daughter curled her small hands around the fabric,_

_"__M-mommy! What's going on mommy!" a pole crudely butted her back and she heard Richard shout her name only to be silenced when his head snapped to the side,_

**_"_****_DON'T TOUCH MY HUSBAND!" _**_She shrieked and Faith let out a shrill squeal when one of the guards fisted the back of her shirt and she was lifted kicking violently in the air,_

**_"_****_MOMMY!"_**_her little hands grasped at nothing as she reached desperately out for her._

**_"_****_FAITH!" _**_Alena screamed and she lunged for her daughter when her stomach gave a sudden lurch and she doubled over hurling bile. Her hands closed around her heavily round stomach as the world around her blurred and her entire body shattered apart. _

_A mother is the epitome of inner strength. She is the pillar of support. She is the fierce lioness who stands and perseveres against the tides of time and will stop at nothing to protect her family._

_However, what is a woman to do when everything she lived for is torn from her in one night?_

_Let me tell you what a strong woman does my readers. She fights. She fights that bitter battle till the day her heart stops beating and her body breathes its last. _

_A measure of power poured into Alena's exhausted body and she shoved herself on to her knees. With shaking legs, she made her way to the gates where her husband and daughter stood barred from her. _

_Tears slipped down Richard's strained face and Alena cupped his cheeks between her hands, loving the way his unshorn beard rubbed against her palm,_

_"__I love you." She whispered and pressed her trembling lips to his, pouring everything she had in her soul to him even has her own heart continued to break. His own shaking hands gripped her swollen waist and he released a harsh moan of pain and pulled her to his body. _

_"__I can't leave you here when you're a week away from your due date." Pleading eyes stared at her as his hands caressed her belly, "there must be another way." Her mouth slanted over his and lingered, _

_"__There is no other way." Dropping to her knees, she cradled her child's puffy cheeks and with her thumbs brushed the wet stains from her cheeks,_

_I must be strong._

_"__Love, it's going to be alright," she cooed softly, "you're just going on a vacation with daddy for a while." Faith's bottom lip wobbled, _

_"__H-how long?" every fiber of her being begged her to throw her arms around her daughter and take her and flee. She should've left when her friend warned her to the troubles stirring in the palace but in the midst of her first pregnancy, she was simply too happy to care. _

_"__A long time baby." Faith blubbered,_

_"__I don't want to go on a vacation! I-I want to go h-home!" Alena wanted to wail herself as she planted kisses all over her daughter's face,_

_"__I don't want you to go either. But remember Faith. Mommy loves you. Mommy loves you very, very much." She pushed back another sob as she kissed the tears sliding down her cheeks, "I love you so much Faith." Spears crossed in front of her face and she was thrusted back as she watched the distance between her and her family grow further and further. _

_I will be strong._

**_"_****_MOMMYYY!"_**_Faith threw her arms out to her and Alena folded her fingers over thin air. _

_They were gone. And they took her heart with them._

_Her vision wavered and Alena felt her legs collapse around her. Wetness suddenly drenched her thighs and she reached down between her legs only to find water pooling around her._

_Her water had broken._

One, two, one, two stop.

The second her feet touched the bottom of the stairs leading to the Monarch's throne, the Seventh was forced onto her knees as a round hand tangled itself into the tangled strands of her hair and yanked her head back, exposing her throat.

"Hello Alena." Her name was spoken with a slithery whisper that drew up a frightening terror in the dregs of her heart. Her body began to shake as perspiration and fear poured down her body like a thundering wave of horror. The action wasn't involuntary. There was no mistake that she was petrified, but her body's reactions were purely from the years of conditioning.

They were all conditioned to fear the Monarch. She was the Head, the Alpha, the Beginning and the End and would not hesitate to prove to Nishima just how much power she held in her hand. Even now, just one word – her name- was enough to produce such a response from her body. The Monarch ruled by fear and an iron fist. Death wasn't an uncommon theme though it was never mentioned.

The Seventh had no doubt that her head would soon be rolling off the guillotine. There was a special kind of hell for Brahmins who dared to betray and go against the crown.

There the Monarch sat clothed in a loose robe; her finger idly traced the ornaments engraved into the grooves of the dagger's handle, her expression, unreadable.

"Do you remember the two men I hired to create those beautiful pictures on our front gates? I was so pleased that I granted them names." She turned her head toward the shadows, "Messer, Schneidbrett, please step out." From behind the curtain, two men with their heads downcast and their upper torsos bare, brushed past the curtains and lowered themselves onto a knee,

"Monarch." Messer's raspy voice chilled the air and planted a thick fist onto the ground and dropped his forehead between his clenched hands. Schneidbrett mimicked his partner's movements. The Monarch reached behind the large curtain and withdrew another dagger from behind the veil and tossed both of the ornamental blades toward them.

The razor sharp ends spiraled in the air and buried themselves inches away from their ears,

"Pick them up." They raised their heads and pulled the knives from the ground. Still wearing a pleasant smile, she relaxed back into her seat and pressed her folded fingers to her lips,

"I'm enlisting their help once more. This time, instead of carving wood," her smile became paper thin, "they'll be decorating your lovely skin." She held up a finger, "but they won't be just writing nonsense on your skin, oh no, we can't have that." The Monarch stood up at the top of the steps and reached for the strings holding her robe together, "they'll be matching this," with a twist of her wrists, she tugged the robe off her body and Alena couldn't hold back a stunned gasp.

No one had ever seen the Monarch bare. They wouldn't dare question her even when they noticed the faint scars that peeked over her collarbones when her attire was a bit low.

The second the Monarch bared herself, Alena knew why.

Gorge rose up her throat and she couldn't help but turn her head away from the sight. What happened to her? Who had done this to her body? It looked like someone had dipped her into a vat of acid and while she was still healing, carved monstrosities into her skin.

"Everything you see on me will soon be adorning your body too." She grinned, "They will copy every single stroke, every punctured vein, every word and every mark you see on me." The Seventh choked and she felt her stomach plummet.

"Kill me." Her voice had long grown hoarse from her screams. The Monarch clicked her tongue and slowly shook her head,

"That would be showing mercy Alena. Have I ever shown compassion to anyone? You've betrayed me and even when I allowed you into my good graces and cut off your fangs, you grew them back." She descended the stairs, "I've given you everything you could ask for. Money, power, a child, shelter and safety and yet you're still unsatisfied." The Brahmin hissed at the spiked pressure on her shoulders and spat at her,

"You've taken away what matters most to me! Everything you've given me is nothing but superficial!" A clawed nail tapped her swollen cheek,

"Even your precious son?" Alena screeched and sprung for her, vying to rip her head off,

"Do _not _touch my son you vile witch-" strident nails scored over her face and she howled as her mind was assaulted with a pain unlike any other. Her body shook from the effort to retain her sanity as the pain gradually built twofold.

"This is what's going to happen. For every cut they make, I'll ask you a question. If you refuse to answer, they'll make a hole in your stomach until you bleed out. When I'm done with you, you'll either be dead or, if you're still alive, we'll throw you off one of the bridges." She traced the tip of her nail over one of her scars, "if it makes you feel any better, I'll let you pick which bridge you want to be thrown from."

"How kind of you my lady." She said dryly and the woman nodded in agreement,

"I am generous aren't I?" she took a step back, sweeping a hand to her, "proceed." Messer and Schneidbrett surrounded her on both side and placed the side of their blades against her stomach. Alena's heart leaped out of her chest and every muscle in her body tensed, waiting for the agonizing slice.

"Where would you like us to begin Monarch?" The tyrant traced spatter of lesions that crisscrossed over her ribs,

"Here would be lovely." the tip of the blade dug in her skin. Pressure was applied till with a strangled scream, the gleaming steel split the skin over her tender ribs. The first rivets of blood lipped over the fresh wound and a hot burn scorched up the Seventh's chest as she fought to breathe,

"First question." The dreaded clicking of the Monarch's heels echoing in the quiet tower was the only thing she heard punctuated ever so often by a sharp screech of pain.

Fire raced over her stomach in a sickening whirl as Schneidbrett decorated the side of her stomach with little circles. Scarlet red dripped down her waist, staining her skin with a new color better left in her body. Her bottom lip ached from the constant gnawing as Alena struggled to remain mute.

_*Click. Click. Click.*_

"Ah! There are you are Fourth, I was wondering when you were going to bring the other fool." The Fourth Seat's Mocha skin glowed under the bright light as she dragged a thoroughly battered Bartender into the room. His entire body looked as if he'd been thrown against a boulder one too many times. The man was forced with a grunt to his knees and his clothes ripped away from his body displaying bulging muscles covered in black and blue.

"My apologies your highness, it took longer to retrieve him than I thought." The Fourth nearly stumbled at the sight of the Monarch's nakedness before she caught herself and recovered. The Bartender's chest rumbled when she reached over to slap his cheek, "wake up you lumbering bigot, you're in the presence of the Monarch." The man lifted his head, bleary eyes gauged his surroundings and he turned his head to look at Alena. His dark eyes widened at her body, he took one look at the fresh cuts on her stomach and shot the Monarch a withering glare,

"What have you done Ri-" a the butt of the knife struck his jaw and he hissed as his neck protested,

**"****DO NOT SPEAK TO ME YOU BLITHERING OGRE!"** the Monarch flipped the handle over and bisected a line of blood straight down the Bartender's chest. He howled and she cut a jagged line over his shoulders, digging the blade deeper than before. Alena stared as the tyrant lost her composure, the perfectly calm aura around her twisted her face and for an instant, a grotesque version of the statue reflected over her expression. Just as quickly, the mask was back on and her breathing returned.

"Messer, Schneidbrett, I've changed my mind." The silky tone oozed over the Seventh's body like sludge as she stalked toward the Revolutionary, "you may deal with Mrs. Alena as I have told you to. This cretin, however, you will leave to me." The beginnings of sadistic glint brightened the woman's piercing eyes as she twirled the third ornamental dagger in her hands, "I have a feeling that he's begging to be given the same treatment the previous Monarch received."

The Bartender gritted his teeth and he shot her another look before he mouth the words, "I'm sorry." As the Monarch plunged her knife straight into his shoulder. His roar of agony filled the silence before the ruler glanced at the Seventh,

"Second question." She yanked the vane out of the man's skin and Alena felt her own ear-splitting cry wrench out of her mouth as the carvers dragged a gaping wound just under her belly.

She didn't plead, she didn't speak. The only thing that came out of her mouth was an incorrigible scream as the flames of Hell surrounded her.

For ten years, she survived solely for her family. She vowed on the day they were taken away she'd do everything in her power to see them before she died.

Now, now she had little hope that she would be able to fulfill her promise.

Unfortunately my readers, she wasn't alone on that thought.

* * *

"Abelard! Where are the Institutions?!" Amidst the warring citizens and Kshatriyas, the young teen stumbled over before he righted to his feet and led them though a twisting labyrinth of roads and swarming Vaishya and Shudras rushing toward the arches.

"Shouldn't we be helping them?" Usopp jerked his head at the swarm. Sanji frowned and his hand shot out to grab Luffy's shoulder,

"Hold on Luffy! Usopp is right; we should split up and help the Insurgence while the others help Faith rescue her brother." Brook dipped his head,

"If it is alright, I'll go with the young lady." He beckoned to the cook, "will you join me Sanji-san?" the cook opened his mouth to object when he saw the Vaishya's distraught expression,

"But Nami-san," his voice wavered and the navigator stepped forward and flipped her hand at him,

"I'll be fine Sanji, she needs you to protect her." The knight in shining armor reference had the chef throwing the navigator one more conflicted look before he jobbed over to Brook,

"Look after Nami-san you bastards! I better not find one scratch on her when this is all over!" Zoro muttered under his breath and rolled his eye,

"Focus on your job stupid cook." Sanji took an outraged step toward the swordsman when Luffy let out a whoop and jerked out of his grip when Law raised his voice,

"Hold on, there's something all of you should at least keep in mind before we split up." He tapped his temple with an inked finger, "as all of you have noticed when the Second and Third Brahmin ambushed us, all if not most of the Brahmins are capable of breaking the human mental barrier." He palmed the brim of his hat, "I've dabbled a bit in telepathy myself and from what I've learned, depending on their strength, they're only able to reach you as long as you're within a certain distance. There is no time to teach you how to block their probes but the easiest method would be to focus on an object or a thought and erase everything else from your mind. It disrupts their efforts to probe you." He unsheathed his sword, "we don't have room for trial and error so do not let your mind wander." Zoro nodded,

"Are there anything else they can do besides cause pain?" Law smirked,

"They can melt your mind in seconds swordsman." Usopp swallowed,

"What if you can't fight back?" he asked meekly. Trafalgar raised a brow,

"Then you run as fast as you can." Faith shifted impatiently,

"Can we go now? Please?" Brook drew his cane to his side,

"I'd say see you guys later but unfortunately, I don't have eyes. **YOHOHOHOHO!**" brandishing his rapier, the musician and the cook took off after the Vaishya,

**"****THERE THEY ARE!" **It didn't take long before another barrage of Kshatriya marched toward them. Nami let out a sigh and adjusted her grip on her Clima Tact and the rest of the Strawhats braced themselves for battle. Luffy's war cry shattered the chaos and they all surged as one.

**"****LET'S GO!"**


	35. Chapter 35 Revulsion

**Revulsion**

**I'm so sorry for not updating! Events i didn't see coming really held me back from writing. **

**And now that classes are starting again...sigh...i don't think updates are going to be as consistent so thank you so much guys for your infinite patience with me!**

**I don't own One Piece, that belongs to Oda and the beginning idea came from Hanzatsu-Hime**

**Bashsister23: Thank you! I too am looking forward to how Nami and Zoro's relationship will turn out in the end because i'm just as curious as you are haha!**

**Mistress of Dragons: She is quite scarred alright. Not going to reveal to you how bad the damage is yet but her hatred runs quite deep. Thank you for reviewing!**

**Christina Grimmie's (God bless her beautiful voice) "Snow White" is your song and inspiration for this chapter! **

**Please enjoy!**

* * *

**"****THERE THEY ARE!" **It didn't take long before another barrage of Kshatriya marched toward them. Nami let out a sigh and adjusted her grip on her Clima Tact and the rest of the Strawhats braced themselves for battle. Luffy's war cry shattered the chaos and they all surged as one.

**"****LET'S GO!" **he dragged his fist back and hurled them at the army, smashing everyone in his path as he launched himself in the air, using his arms as a slingshot, the captain reached up high towards the painted skies and wound them over one of the arches,

**"****I'LL LEAVE THEM TO YOU GUYS!" **His companion's shouts were overlooked and the pirate reeled his body onto the bridge. The second his sandals touched down onto the stone surface, the Kshatriya standing guard opened fire without hesitation.

"Strawhat!" the captain spun around as his skin stretched all around him to see the vice commander of the Insurgence storm up behind him as a thunderous roar of challenge sounded and the villagers who'd clambered up to the stairs threw their fists in the air and bellowed, "we've overtaken and plundered the Institutions for weapons! Are you and your crew prepared?" Luffy jerked his thumb at the plume of smoke rising some distance away,

"We've already started," he grinned as the man let loose a harsh bark of laughter,

"Going by how the Bartender described you lot, I shouldn't be surprised," he checked the leather straps adorning his chest, "the Vaishya and Shudra are ready to storm the bridge," the loud blast of a trumpet reverberated and the rumble of hundreds of feet running in tandem shook the suspended arch. Vinson acknowledged the approaching civil war with a heavily raised brow and a heft of his axe, "brace yourself Strawhat, here they-"

"Gomu Gomu no Ricochet!" Twin fists and legs propelled the rubberman straight toward his target as his hands and soles collided with flesh and with a final shove, punched his way through the charging battalion. From there, with the clamor of angry citizens, he lashed out, catching every open face, breaking past their amour and even went so far as to coil himself like an anaconda around one of the Kshatriya and played the man's body like a fiddle. He caught Vinson's furious grin of triumph and the man raised his axe over his head, his only warning the killing glint in his striking sapphire eyes before Luffy rolled to the side in time for the lethal weapon to smash the Kshatriya's body into pieces.

**"GOOD FIGHT!"** he shouted and spun around to jab the end of the handle into another warrior's eye socket. The captain saluted and bounded ahead, straight into the tunnel; his goal, to find and drag the Insurgence's leader from whatever hellhole the witch imprisoned him in.

* * *

By the time Nami's mind informed her of just how far she'd strayed away from her nakama, it was too late. One of the many weighty bodies lunged at her and the navigator expertly twirled her Clima Tact, butting the tip directly into his stomach, knocking the air out of his lungs. She swept her arms upward and let loose a blinding bolt of lightning, striking the entire area around her. More bodies took the place of the ones who had fallen and as they surged around her, the stifling fear pierced her throat and her limbs glued her in place.

"Move!" her mind screamed at her as swords slashed at her. With a cry, she jerked herself from her paralyzed fear and raised her arms up in time to intercept the blow.

Her weapon raised its head against nothing.

Only the sound of the furious roar of a beast filled her ears as a rush of heat zapped through her, heightening her senses with the musky smell of dirt and sweat and raw power. The hairs along her arms prickled with a familiar warmth and the pent up breath of tension evaporated from her chest and she looked up to see the straining swordsman's bare back staring back at her.

_She'd barely poked her head out of Merry's side when her eyes caught the swordsman busy wringing out the ends of his drenched shirt. He'd ended up using his fists rather than his swords when he dove after the cloud shark and sent the sea creature diving out of the way sporting a nice lump while the rest clamored around the stone alter. _

_The terrifying group of circling sharks, the fact that they were mounted and abandoned in the middle of an alter as sacrifice to some angry god, the idea that they were all sitting ducks in the middle of the Upper Yard of Skypiea, none of that mattered when she was greeted with a certain swordsman's wet and dripping back. _

_Now it wouldn't be a stretch to say that Nami had seen quite a few nicely toned backs of the male gender. Had she admired a few of them for afar? Sure, why not. However, this one particular swordsman's water streaked posterior was just…right. _

_The ginger's eyes followed the trails of water that slid down the rather impressive muscles packed into Zoro's spine. The man had built himself into a reasonably fine specimen and his turned position gave the navigator front row seats to ogle it. Toned, bronze skin glistened under the shafts of light streaming over the thick treetops as Zoro bent to forcefully twist the fabric, further exaggerating the firm lines and hard planes of a very fit upper torso. There were a few scars that ran skin deep smattered all over his body but they didn't discount the hum of power the man possessed even in his resting state. Anyone would think twice before engaging the swordsman in battle and the display of visceral strength and the way gleam in his dark orbs turned demonic proved it. _

_She should count her lucky stars the man was too focused on drying his shirt to take notice and nearly broke her neck whipping her head to stare at something else when he looked up. Berating herself, the navigator all but hurled the shirt at the idiot's head and worked to keep the hot flush on her cheeks from surfacing. _

_She was thankful that the Marimo race weren't the observant type of people. _

That very back now coated with sweat and streaks of dirt drew her attention and held onto it. Thick sinews strained beneath her roving eyes, the little tendons along his shoulder blades twitched as Zoro rolled his neck up to block the sixth blade with the sword in his mouth. He'd acquired a new set of wounds and lesions over the last two years that were now layered over his old ones. Again, they proved to her and those who saw it the work and immense dedication the man bore and now displayed as Zoro caught every single downward blade in a movement that looked effortless.

Six razor-sharp blades found themselves trembling under the might of three as the hands that wielded them quivered in confusion. Zoro's bent legs heaved forward and the man shoved out with both of his arms, his own raw strength alone overpowering his opponents and the men flew back onto their bottoms.

As the Kshatriya's fingers lost their grip onto their weapons and clattered to the ground, the dreaded awareness of underestimating a foreigner's métier dawned upon them when he stomped toward the fallen men. That nasty glint and the homicidal way he approached them screamed bloody murder; he had every intention of murdering them in cold blood. They could almost visualize their deaths in his eye as Zoro strode closer. Two had clearly lost their minds and flew at him caterwauling only to be backhanded back to the ground, their throats twisted to the side.

"Have you dug your graves?" they shook and Nami scrabbled for her staff. Her mouth moved soundlessly as she frantically created as many bubbles of clouds as she could and raised her pole, the blue bulb tipped with light and with a shout, she swept the stunning light toward the remaining four men instantly blasting them till they lay charred to the ground.

Zoro spun around, his teeth bared and Nami raised her chin up and snapped,

"It was better than what you had in mind." He slammed his teeth together and Nami stiffened when the man marched in her direction. She willed her body not to flinch as the swordsman drew close enough for her to see the light sheen of perspiration coat the heavy column of his neck. It wasn't until she found that penetrating orb glare at her when the man let out a grunt and reached down to help her up. The tips of their fingers barely brushed each other's when a rush of Kshatriya nearly trampled her over. Nami screamed when a hard chest smashed into her and equally muscular arms close around her.

"I've got you." He rasped and his grip on her went taut. Air filled those powerful lungs and Zoro rolled them to safety, all the while keeping her from being roughly jostled.

She was ripped from him again as the battle grew even more fierce. His alarmed shout had Nami fighting even harder to reach him only to find herself pushed roughly toward the arches. Claustrophobia threatened and Nami risked one more glance at Zoro's enraged expression boring onto her before she turned around and fled for the safety of the stairs. A tornado of bodies whirling in the destruction a few feet away told her he'd unleashed one of his techniques. Her name was a frantic roar, the urge to remove herself from the overwhelming amount of bodies even stronger.

She couldn't wait, not even for him, she had to get away.

Her legs pounded up the stone support and Nami pushed herself till she reached the pinnacle of the arch. To her horror, dozens of soldiers greeted her and Nami skidded to a stop, her hands slick on her Clima Tact. The revolting sneer on their face when they caught her like a deer in headlights did twisted things to her belly and before she could react, a dizzying blur of russet and green spun into her vision as a beast tore a horrifying wreckage of blood and severed limbs in front of her.

This creature with olive hair and a familiar face and chest saturated in blood now stood in front of her weakened body with tightly gritted fangs and wild, uninhabited, and uncontainable rage that shook her to the core. This savage drenched in his enemies' own life challenged her to look upon him with a moral telescope and Nami instantly knew the moment she took a peek behind his tinted lense that she would see a sentient that raised the hairs along her neck in terror.

Blood slid down the muscular curvature of a bare arm angled toward her fallen body. The hand covered in calluses spread wide open and halted inches from her hand, silently waiting.

No words were exchanged as Nami watched the red liquid follow the indented trail as it spiraled past his wrist, halted at the bone and dripped to the ground. Her chin automatically tipped back to see the shadow of his cheeks streaked crimson. Nami's bottom lip trembled and the navigator drew her gaze away from Zoro's hand to look past him.

Her mouth parted in a soundless gasp.

Bodies piled on top of bodies laid in wait behind him. No longer were they simply unconsciously knocked over by the flat of his sword. Heads rolled, throats neatly slashed and torsos were cut open till their innards spilled out and pooled onto the stone tiles. Their lifeless eyes and opened mouths watched her with accusing stares and she whipped her head up to see Zoro staring at her with an unapologetic eye. She instinctively knew he would not apologize for their deaths, not when-

"They deserved it." The chillingly malicious gravel struck a high chord of alarm in her throat and Nami swallowed and tugged her eyes from his face and down to his hand.

Even now she detected thin smudges of red lining the crevices of his palm and gazed at the even thicker trail of blood slipping off his wrist.

Could she trust what he was becoming? When she'd curled herself into his arms that night, he had been a safe haven to hide herself away from judgmental eyes as she broke down. The same hand held out to her, beckoning her back into his arms.

Arms that were safe no more.

_Trust me. _She grabbed his hand and felt her body grow lax as Zoro's arm tensed seconds before he pulled her to him with ease.

_Do not back away. _Nami readjusted her Clima Tact and worked furiously to hide the way her insides shook. Nothing missed the man's eye and from the audible click of his teeth gnashing together and the palatable aura of rage that surrounded his entire being, he noticed.

_Do not leave me. _Her legs begged her to put distance between them, but the glaring eye accompanied by the warning growl locked her in place. Heavy, stifling darkness surrounded her as Zoro loomed over her stiff form, his angled jaw becoming even more pronounced and his gaze pierced holes into her and he leaned so close she could practically taste the wild emotions rolling off him. The tip of his nose skimmed the side of her cheek and Nami shut her eyes when he pressed closer. He didn't touch her, yet his presence made itself known as the smell of blood and sweat and his own heady scent invaded her senses, wrapping itself forcefully around her body, imprinting itself into her.

Zoro inhaled and groaned, a sound that she felt all the way to her toes as the ends of his hair brushed her temples and the swordsman lowered his head till his mouth hovered over her quivering ear,

"Are you afraid?" her spine snapped straight as a stroke of heat bolted deep into her belly and Nami parted her mouth in a speechless hiss as blunt teeth snagged the soft flesh of her ear. Her vision wavered and she struggled to reciprocate,

"N-no." the words were a breathless whisper and the swordsman chuckled in reply. Wave after wave of sensation melted into her and this time, the navigator couldn't restrain a strangled cry from flying past her throat when he dragged the tip of his tongue down the shell of her ear,

"Then why are you shaking like a leaf?" like a switch, his mercurial mood flipped and Zoro stepped back, any reactions he'd shown her were wiped clean from his face leaving an impenetrable mask of icy calm.

Only the sound of reinforcements dragged his attention from her as another group of Kshatriyas marched up the arch,

"Go. Find Luffy, he'll keep you safe." He refused to even look at her. Instead, he presented her his back once more and this time, the blessed warmth and heat and feeling of safety Zoro represented abruptly vanished leaving a bitter hallow that stole her breath.

Resisting the sudden urge to turn into a screaming banshee, Nami spun and raced into the dark hallway, doing her damnedest to ignore the ear-splitting screeches that rebounded off the enclosed walls as her fist pressed tightly to her chest, burying away the hurt that blossomed inside.

She ran till her breathing went ragged and the throbbing between her thighs protested. _Slow down! _The sharp order had her faltering for a brief moment before she put on a burst of speed and followed the sharp turn of stairs. The sudden rustle of chains banging onto iron breastplates had her scrambling frantically backwards to find a hiding place away from prying eyes. Nami whirled around desperately searching for some sort of drapery to shield her body but to her dismay, only bare walls welcomed her. Fear scorched her heart and she scanned the walls, looking for something, anything that would help her escape. As her hands plastered themselves onto the stone walls, her seeking fingers curved into a groove, no more than four inches wide. She hastily ran a pad over the slit and quickly determined that the cut was too smooth to be natural. The rumbling grew louder and Nami grasped the edge with both hands and threw her weight back against it.

Nothing. Boots rattled threateningly near signaling the Kshatriya's approach and the navigator gritted her teeth and yanked even harder. A grating that sounded like a foghorn to her ears rasped over her and stale air washed over her as the door shook and groaned as she dragged the stone to the side.

It was like pulling a cart over gravel, the noise jarred her ears and Nami's heart leaped to her throat.

"Please, please open!" she pleaded and her arms trembled and her pulling became desperate. It was only when she was able to squeeze her slender body through the gap and jerk the door behind her when her lungs released the breath she didn't know she'd been holding.

That breath was sucked right back into her mouth and the navigator stumbled back in shock,

"Where am I?"

An ancient dome shrouded by an expanse of succulent greenery stood in front of her. Its proud pillars were carved and molded with statues and figures of women and men dressed in robes of royalty that surrounded the long columns. Eerie silence greeted her as Nami followed the path toward the open dome. Her eyes widened and she froze at the entrance to tip her head back to stare up at the ceiling.

Eight statues sat regally on each of the eight pillars that supported the roof returned her stare. Their naked bodies stood in stark contrast against the painted background depicting bloody sacrifices and mythical creatures engaged in a battle of the known and the unknown. In the center of the dome, sitting on a stack of broken pieces of pottery glued together in uneven and jagged clumps was the hunched body of a disfigured atrocity.

Her breath whooshed out in unsteady pants as she shakily made her way to the sculpture. She looked down at her hands and found them trembling as she rounded the figure.

All the air left her body and Nami sank to the hard ground in dead faint.

Eight swords stuck in haphazard angles protruded from his back. The pointed ends of the long swords digging into the ground from his stomach were the only things that kept him from completely falling over. He was on his knees, his deformed back bent over and his blackened arms stretched out toward her. Eyeless sockets gazed at her and a scarred face and a heavy crown of thorns perched over his bald head wove a sickening tale of death and betrayal.

"I see you've found him." The haunting voice of stabbing snakes slithered over her and Nami whipped around in time to see the long, red robe of the Monarch slide out from behind a pillar.

"You." Nami's mouth dropped open and her knees knocked together, "y-you're the woman I spoke to two nights ago." A well-crafted smile adorned ruby red lips and the Monarch smiled serenely,

"And you must be the broken toy." Her dark eyes glittered, "did you take my advice?" she tilted her head and brought her attention to the pierced statue. The tyrant lifted her head and trailed the back of her fingers over the man's damaged face, "he brought this upon himself you know, if he hadn't scorned me, this wouldn't have happened." It was only then when the pungent scent of iron reached her nose when Nami realized that the woman's entire forearm was saturated in blood.

Gorge rose and the navigator slapped her hand over her mouth as the Monarch continued to stroke the man's face,

"Love has an interesting way of ending doesn't it? When a man sees that his wife has been mistreated, he doesn't come to her aid nor does he comfort her when she reaches for him. Instead, he creates another wound and crowns her in a wreath of thorns and casts her aside for another." Evocative orbs bled to dark obsidian and the Monarch turned her wicked eyes to her, a calculating smile on her face, "but little did he know that he would soon become the very abomination he accused her to be." The Monarch stepped to her, "and just like him, I shall create a masterpiece out of you."


	36. Chapter 36 Rin

**Rin**

**As busy as I was, this story has never left my mind and has always hovered among the backburners of my mind. So when i finally had the chance to sit down and eek out a few sentences, i did just that...for the next four weeks. I wrote the last few sentences on a scratch paper when inspiration hit me during one of my evening classes. I wanted to hit my usual number cap per chapter but i couldn't go on; this seem like the perfect place to stop for this chapter so i decided to end it there. **

**Here, we begin the Monarch's backstory. Don't worry we'll jump right back to the present in no time but I couldn't give you guys such a shallow background of a villain i put so much effort into creating. So please enjoy this backstory!**

**When I write, i tend to stray away from the main story and write snippets of scenes that could possibly meld with future parts of the story. Imagine my surprise when i found a scene i wrote connected exactly where we were at! Haha i love it when that happens, it puts a smile on my face. **

**jolphuong: (14) I'm actually trilingual :) I'm sure you're doing just fine with your life. (35) I know that feeling! When you get so immersed into something that you end up crashing into things - in my case, a pole or two- and barely make it class on time. ^^ (34) The Monarch is impossible to console with, she's got her own closet of skeletons. I doubt even Nami's thunderbolt can save her now. Faith will be on her way in no time!**

**Mistress of Dragons: Thank you! I hope we all went a bit gooey there! I really wanted to pop in something for ZoNa since i've been working too long into the plot but i'm glad you enjoyed it! So many questions that i unfortunately can answer just yet ;) but hopefully this chapter might give you some context of her nature. **

**I do not own One Piece that belongs to Oda, the initial concept belongs to Hanzatsu-Hime.**

* * *

They called her Monarch when her origins did not even closely derive from noble birth. They worshipped and obeyed her not for her physical prowess or her stature when she was dredged from the bottom of the pit to begin with. However, what she didn't have she replaced with the mental expertise of a strategist that allowed her to possess the entire island of Nishima.

With her deception, they hailed her as royalty. With her iron fist, they praised her of the last decade of peace, protection, and order she brought when she herself balanced on the very edge of insanity.

She was a 'god' of the island.

Who wouldn't enjoy that kind of privilege?

They were a village of simple-minded people who went about their lives in a manner that bespoke of many generations of peace, prosperity and an overwhelming joy that disgusted her to no end.

It was the first thing she got rid of when she took the throne, a cathedra that once belonged to her father; happiness had no place in the royal scheme of things she had in mind for this island.

She'd been raised in the very depths of poverty. The clothes on her back and the plain, obsidian choker she wore round her throat were the only things she possessed.

That had been stripped from her too, taken and sold for a few measly beli to satisfy her rumbling belly.

As a child, she was an anomaly, a beautiful oddity with hair in different shades of cornsilk and skin a soft flaxen pastel dotted by a light spatter of freckles. Just below her pert nose was a plush mouth of cherubic rose fitted to a willowy body and equally slender arms and delicate fingers. Those fingers now dug viciously into the wooden pole in an effort to keep her tears from spilling out of those large eyes that shone like new leaf in the summer when an enormous torso slid down to a knee.

A finger tilted her lowered head up and as her emerald orbs widened in recognition, she began to tremble violently. She did not shake because of the fact that she was up on the chopping block, but the guillotine that had been chosen for her impending doom.

She had every reason to be fearful.

Dom Ivankov was the leader of one of the most notorious Bratva organizations in the Old World. It was impossible not to understand the petrifying amount of fear his name held in the hearts of criminals. The minute few who failed to meet the bargain they struck with the man marked the end of their existence.

He held all the cards in his hand, the skies were his throne and the earth his footstool. The world had a choice; bend their back to his will or he would break it. And while Dom wasn't known to make allies more than he was for creating enemies, the few he chose to side with were equally if not more, powerful than he.

All of a sudden, this six feet seven, broad shouldered, smoldering Russian dressed in expensive Armenian leather now wanted something no other human in the universe would ever be able to guess.

A daughter.

Not a son my readers, a daughter.

You see, no woman could sink her claws into the man. The grapevines had been fluttering about the man who was now approaching his forties without a woman at his side. Even with the number of women that graced his bed, none had been able to keep his attention for long. However, the need for an heir to his throne, a child who would one day inherit this vast expanse of his domain and continue her father's legacy. It was a daunting thought for the person who would one day step into his shoes.

For a woman to accomplish such a task? It was simply unheard of.

No one saw this coming, not even the associates he called "brother" had an inkling of his proposal.

The child's brows drew together in a mighty squint and she shut her eyes and tightened her grip on the banister. The orphanage's caretaker, Katarina had been more than reluctant to sell her because of her rather "unique" features that "earned her keep." As Ivankov's hand stroked her hair, she struggled not to cringe,

"This one is a pleasure to look at. I can only imagine how stunning she would become as a woman." She ducked her head as the warden eagerly nodded and batted her false lashes and fingered the chain of pearls she always wore around her neck,

"Two years ago, one of the workers found her stranded in the middle of the East Blue when they were shipping cargo. Imagine my surprise when they came back with a child tied up and caged." The woman cast a contemptuous glance at her, "the little savage nearly bit my hand off when I tried to get near her." Dom raised a brow, the slightest hint of interest in that movement,

"Is that so?" Tumultuous power dripped from those three words and Katarina, shot him one of her sickening coy smiles and moved closer,

"The poor thing was in need of a strong role model not to mention a motherly figure to guide her and show her how a proper lady looks and acts." Katarina pursed scarlet lips and reached out boldly to place the tips of her fingers onto the Bratva's arm, "but I suppose if you purchase her, you might require someone to assist her to continue to teach her. You see, she hasn't fully adapted to our customs yet." The orphan squirmed uncomfortably beneath his penetrating gaze, instantly aware the second the Russian's aura fractionally darkened at the caretaker's touch. There was no mistaking the hum of a beast underneath the façade of politeness he threw up. Even the fancy suit could not distract her from the ominous waves that screamed danger!

Katarina must have been the only one stupid enough not to pick it up because the warden only pressed closer and pushed her already scandalous cleavage even higher. "If you like, I could-" a large, trimmed hand closed over her bare shoulder, preventing her from taking another step further.

"You're about to bite off more than you can chew Miss Katarina." The smooth and cultured tenor of Dom's underboss, Vincent went a long way to soothing the orphan's rattled nerves as Katarina shot him a sulky pout,

"I'm only making a suggestion to Mr. Ivankov." Vincent let out a specious chuckle and casually reached over to create a rift between his boss and the caretaker with his arm,

"Then I suggest you make your offer where you are not counting your body as some sort of bonus." Katarina's bee-stung pout vanished, a scowl replacing her cosmetic coated face,

"How dare you!" she hissed and the girl cringed, ready for the warden to deliver a stinging remark at the man,

"Enough." The air around the entire premise stiffened and wrapped its occupants into a stifling fist. Choking power swamped the entire room. Everyone save for the underboss crumbled to their knees as a menacing entity flashed over Dom's eyes before it settled and the large man reached a looming hand out to grasp the orphan's face. Summer green orbs glared valiantly back at him behind a glaze of unshed tears as she tried her best to keep her head high. Her tongue swiped at the dagger tips of her canines as she stared at Dom Ivankov, watching as he observed her reaction underneath a set of teal orbs that reminded her of the broken stained glass she had once seen. Again, that low-pitched contralto that resonated within her body vibrated,

"What do you wish for?" She inspected his face, waiting for the other shoe to drop. Silence awaited her answer. She swallowed, her throat clenched and whispered,

"The moon and the stars," the faintest spark of amusement tweaked Dom's lip and he brushed his thumb over her cheekbone where she knew a bruise was on its way,

"Why desire what belongs to the night?" Her small body tensed and she forced herself not to shy away,

"Because," her voice dropped and Dom bent even lower to hear,

"Why child" he murmured and she licked her lips nervously,

"Because the moon fell off the night sky to look for his stars," the Bratva gazed at her, waiting,

"And where did the stars go?" she pressed the tips of her fingers to her chest and tapped,

"Here." Emboldened, she extended her hand to the man who the world shaking at his feet and touched his chest, "and here." Something akin to childlike wonder shone in the Bratva only to disappear just as quickly.

His gaze dragged down to the thick chain wrapped around her ankle and then to the even thicker beam that supported the roof and zeroed onto it,

"Why chain the child?" she did not miss the way his brows narrowed dangerously down in a swift motion and the slight tick of a tendon on his neck expressing his obvious displeasure. Katarina placed a hand on her hip and gestured at the shackle,

"Like I said, she hasn't fully accumulated herself into society." Her overly plump mouth twisted into a sneer, "all wild animals must be kept in restraints till they're completely domesticated no?" no one but the warden missed the way Dom's jaw visibly tightened as he reached out and wrapped the spare metal around his wrist. With a yank, the cuffs broke from the girl's legs and steel wrapped arms swept her off her feet and settled her onto a massive shoulder,

"Vincent. Pay her the amount she requests and leave." Dom's heavy boots stomped for the door as the underboss slid in front of Katarina's grasping hands, a roll of bound bills between his fingers,

"How much Miss Katarina?" the caretaker's mouth twisted and she cast a longing gaze at Dom's retreating back. The man froze.

"Six million beli." Vincent blinked at the unreasonable amount and angled his head to quickly look at his leader. There was a pregnant pause before Dom finally turned around,

"Four million." The soft demand had no effect on the woman's money-hungry mind because she crossed her arms, diffidence forgotten,

"The brat is my cash cow. She's the one who draws the most attention, the compensation for her loss must be enough to support the poor children who rely on her." Dom's back visibly stiffened and Vincent winced,

"Four million." There were very, _very _few instances when Dom had to repeat himself. A smart individual would usually understand that he'd pushed his luck and would be more than willing to agree.

However, we can all assume that Katarina wasn't the brightest lightbulb.

"I won't go lower than Five-forty." She inspected her nails, "I need the money." As if the room wasn't already freezing enough, the sudden blast of ice that spattered and ate up the walls enveloped the premise added to it. The warden let out a warbled screech when she lost her footing and ended up on her bottom. Frigid hoarfrost encased Dom's voice as he turned his head to pin her down with his eyes gleaming brilliantly white, the black pupils dialated to nothing,

"Do not play games with me female." The dark entity had risen to the forefront and it hissed out a chillingly haunting laugh, "not when you've already lost." Body shaking, Katarina wordlessly nodded as the soft cry of a child broke the ice and the entitiy immediately withdrew taking the frost with it.

"Four million beli." the ring of finality in his tone along with the darkening edge of warning had the warden eagerly nodding her head in agreement before she meekly accepted the two thick wad of bills from Vincent.

"Miss Katarina?" the woman froze, her fingers already counting out the notes and she looked up, the concealer she had patted over her face already slipping off with sweat as the caretaker stared at the Bratva leader.

"Y-yes?" there was no mistaking the chilling hiss as the entity once more, rose past the expensive leather,

"The money goes directly to the children. I did not pay for whatever you decide to slap on your face or inject into your body. Vincent will be monitoring your transactions." Katarina's entire face reddened and she opened her mouth and sputtered when the entity let out a menacing growl that sent the hairs on everyone's neck saved for the underboss standing on end.

"Am I clear?" The color leeched off the woman's face as fast as it had appeared and Katarina blanched and bobbed her head and mumbled something intelligible.

Dom gave her a curt nod and without another word, glided out the door, Vincent at his heels, the door slamming shut behind him. The child shifted uncomfortably on his shoulder and Dom slid her into his arms before he made his way into the car and deposited her on his lap. As Brent the chauffeur revved the ignition, Vincent dusted his hands and cast the orphan a cursory loook,

"She looks soft for someone who grew up in the slums." Dom rubbed his thumb against the girl's cheek and she turned to stone in his arms,

"Mmhmm her skin feels like petals," the child squirmed away from his touch only to let out a squeak when he roughly grabbed her chin and brought her up close to his face, "if I wanted you away from me, your ass would be on the floor." He pinched her cheek and shot her a look, "Brat'sya, settle down." She bared a set of sharp canines and glare resolutely at him. He laughed and wound two fingers through her long hair and non-too gently jerked her head up, "got some spunk in you eh?" he tapped her front teeth and angled her shoulders to face the front seat as the car began to move.

She didn't look at him again as the vehicle peeled away from the ophanage, her eyes fixated straight ahead and occasionally drifted to the window beside her. It was when they were an hour away from her home when she made an effort to push off his lap again. The Bratva growled and brought a hand hard onto her backside,

"Budet po-prezhnemu. Be still." She yelped and nearly leaped off his lap when thick bands kept her from pitching face first into the leather cushion. Her nature yowled in anger and urged her to lash out. The warning tap on her stinging flesh, "do not make me reiterate little lion, I promise you, you will not enjoy it." Her upper lip lifted in a silent snarl but her stinging flesh warned her to keep her mouth shut.

As the land rolled in an endless loop before her, the steady rocking weighed her heavy lids till she could no longer keep them from closing over her eyes. Fingers brushed the wild strands of hair away from her forehead as Dom stroked the skin above her brows,

"Sleep lioness," he murmured. She shook her head and forced her drooping eyes open. The man chuckled, "you don't trust easily don't you?" Baleful emerald orbs stared wordlessly at him and he drew a hand over her eyes encasing her in darkness,

"Sleep." It was a command. Her body obeyed with a soundless sigh and urged her to allow him to cradle her head on his shoulder. Before she could succumbed to the order, she felt Dom's head bend forward and his breath ghosted over her ear,

"You are right to be cautious little lion, however, you are mistaken when you said that I had stars. There are no stars hiding within me." Exhaustion swamped her ad that dangerous rumble sounded again as warmth carasses her cheek,

"Nothing dwells in there but a soulless beast and a heartless entity." Cool lips briefly skimmed over her temple, "so please forgive me, sweet lion, for I will be taking those stars from you too."

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**Thank you for reading!**


	37. Chapter 37 Repudiate

**Repudiate**

**I'm back! I'm back! It's been so long since i've been able to get back to writing! I'm finally on winter break so this is a great opportunity to focus on my stories! I hope you haven't given up hope on this story! Thank you so much for waiting!**

**JessJulieee: Zoro is...a very complicated and uncomplicated. I guess it depends how we want to see him. I refuse to make him think of himself as a victim because of what happened but I want him to feel as if he too, should feel pain because of her. **

**Thank you for patiently waiting!**

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An arm jostled her back into consciousness as the car rolled into a stop and she found herself being carried out of the vehicle as Dom began walking in long and heavy strides toward the entrance to his home. She tipped her head back and gripped onto the lapels of his coat, her jaw falling slack in shock. She knew she shouldn't be surprised but she was.

The Bratva's dwelling was an immense and daunting fortress surrounded with a ten feet impeding stone and iron enforced wall that did nothing to put a damper on the size of the 32,000 square feet monstrosity. Thick brick and gravel dotted the foundation; a low, heavily decorated fence barricaded a small body of water that ran under the front of the mansion as Dom marched past a jaw dropping fountain built in the center, the soles of his leather shoes clicked under the brick tiles that lined the ground. Twin massive, glass-wrought doors loomed over her head and Vincent quickly stepped forward and pushed open the doors. A man dressed completely in black stepped forward, streaks of white highlighted parts of his neatly slicked back hair as he bowed his head down in respect,

"Welcome home Pakhan," He nodded to Vincent and reached out to help Dom out of his coat when the man shook his head and the man withdrew to assist the underboss,

"Home sweet home." Vincent chuckled and rolled his sleeves up and stretched before he looked at the Pakhan, "well I'm off, I'll take care of the legal work for you and I'll keep an eye on the warden's transactions." He tipped his chin toward the girl still huddled in Dom's arms, "what wing do you plan to put her in?" the underboss shot his leader a mischievous grin, "although I wouldn't mind if this lovely lady stays in my wing." A soft rumble lit a dangerous fire in the Pakhan's chest and Vincent immediately lifted his hands in surrender,

"I'm joking." His roguish smile quickly lost its mirth as the man backed away, "you should give her a name, I don't think the warden bothered to give her one." Cerulean orbs inspected her face,

"That can wait, she needs to settle down first." He held his underboss' gaze and she watched as his eyes hardened into pricks of artic ice, "she'll be in my wing." Vincent popped his mouth into an "oh" and shot him a questioning look before he quickly masked it and nodded,

"Of course." He pivoted on his heel and headed toward the western end of the large living room. Without another word, the Pakhan briefly readjusted his grip on her and started toward the stairs,

"Ivan, I will not be needing your service tonight." Ivan turned his head to examine the child who gazed stoically back at him and dipped his head,

"Shall I send someone to bring your dinner up at a later time then Pakhan?" Dom gave him a curt nod and Ivan lowered his head, "very well, have a good evening Pakhan." Ivan's slate grey eyes gave away nothing of his thoughts as Dom began ascending the staircase to the third floor. There were four rooms in the hallway. A single master bedroom dominated by another set of twin doors lay at the very end. With one hand cradling her, he clicked open the doors and carried her to the four poster bed that dominated the majority of his room where he allowed her to slide down his arm and onto the mattress. Her slight weight barely made a dent in the thick comforter and she self-consciously crossed her arms, her eyes darted around the room, taking everything in. The décor screamed masculinity and power as her eyes accessed the ebony walls and the large, rustic fireplace built at the foot of the bed. The entire room was simple, yet tasteful with two large wardrobes situated at the far side of the room accompanied with a low seated table nearby. Her head tilted back to follow the dark panels of the wall and she nearly dropped her jaw when she was greeted with the night sky as the ceiling,

"Seen enough?" Her eyes snapped back to Dom and she watched as the man deftly unbuttoned his coat and shrugged it off his body with an effortless roll of his shoulders and hung it on the door hanger. Every nerve in her tiny body hummed with ridged tension as she dropped her arms in favor of curling her fingers into the silky duvet. She warily tracked the way he moved over to a wireless phone on the bedside cabinet. Her eyes never left him as Dom placed the phone to his ear,

"Vincent, cancel any further appointments I have for tomorrow and give Miss. Lilia my apologies along with the customary gifts. I will not be visiting her place tonight." his gaze briefly scanned the room before fixating onto her. Dom returned the phone to its holder and her frame stiffened at once when he relaxed his body onto a sectional sofa placed near the bed and folded back his sleeves, the beginnings of a tribal tattoo inked over his forearm shone under the dim lighting as Dom rested his elbows on his knees and clasped his hands together.

For a moment, silence reigned over the Pakhan's bedroom as orphan and one of the most notorious man in the Old World locked eyes. She kept her gaze leveled, her heart pounding so loud she knew he could hear it in the taciturn darkness. Yet she refused to back down, even when it was blatantly clear who the real animal in the room was. She did not dare challenge him, but neither did she submit to the man's authority.

Then, in a voice layered with black velvet and mild amusement, he addressed the very question she'd been agonizing over from the moment he stepped into the orphanage,

"What am I to do with you?" he said softly. She said nothing, knowing that he already had the answer to his inquiry. A heavy sigh left the Pakhan's body and he bent forward a bit further and beckoned four fingers to her, "Come to me l'venok." Her muscles seized in refusal and she hesitated, searching his face for answers. When he noticed her uncertainty, Dom's brows pulled together and the nerve on his clenched jaw ticked as he folded three fingers and tilted his index down at the space between his spread knees, "Come here." Self-preservation screamed at her to listen as she slowly slipped off the bed and crept closer, her expression guarded. The vein on his jaw did not settle until she stood between his parted legs. His large hands sought out the ends of her hair, wrapping the long locks over his fists and giving them a tug drawing her even closer, reining her in.

"In this house, there are 3 rules you will obey implicitly." In this position, she directly faced him, in this perspective, he had handily forced her into a vulnerable position where he could easily read every single nuance on her face.

"Rule number 1: Silence means loyalty. Swallow what you know and reveal nothing to anyone outside of the family. What occurs in the family stays within the family." The hairs along the nape of her neck rose as he lifted a hand and placed his thumb onto her bottom lip. His eerie, teal stain-glass orbs took the form of shattered sapphire as Dom stroked along the curvature of her cherubic mouth,

"Rule number 2: You are obligated to submit to your Pakhan," the pad of his thumb pressed lightly down her flesh, "but that does not mean you should lower your head to those who do not deserve your respect." She forced herself not to tense when the gap between his thighs pressed against her waist, effectively trapping her in,

"Rule number 3 is the most important: _This _is your family. You do _not _betray your family. You will live by our blood and you will die by our blood." He slid his hand up to wrap around her slender neck and gently squeeze her throat, "the Bratva despises traitors with passion." Any moisture in her throat evaporated when an immense presence hovered over her body unleashing a staggering amount of icy malice that surpassed the frigid entity she felt earlier at the orphanage and sucked every ounce of warmth from her body. Amidst the chattering of her teeth, she managed to speak,

"Is that all?" she whispered faintly. The Pakhan's hand burned hot on her throat and the suffocating presence instantly vanished as he urged her head closer till their foreheads brushed each other,

"Ah, there's an extra rule for you my l'venok." His voice now dropped down to a hushed murmur that made her think of his silken comforter; tempting, heavy and just as captivating.

"Rule number 4: You belong to me. You became mine the second I bought you from the orphanage." The rough baritone deepened till it bordered a husky growl, "Do you understand what that means l'venok?" She gave a tiny shake of her head and he clasped her tighter, "It means I am now your future. I am the center of your f*cking universe. Everything I do will ultimately affect you in turn. You are my l'venok in a gilded cage." His answer was as possessive as it was vacant of emotion. Every fiber of her being precipitously shot into a petrifying phase of frantic survival when his hands suddenly collared her neck, his thumbs pressing hard enough on her jugular to have her scrabbling weakly at his wrists as the sharp planes on Dom's face hardened into dangerous lines,

"Disobedience results in dire consequences. You will do well to heed my command l'venok." He waited until he was assured that he had her complete attention, "the next time I tell you to come, you will come to heel or learn exactly why I am called Pakhan. Do you understand?" Precious air came in short bursts down her slim throat and she choked out a ragged "yes" only to cry out when his hands refused to lessen the pressure,

"I expect a "yes Pakhan" l'venok." Her entire body shook as her frail mental barriers shattered and she sobbed out,

"Yes Pakhan!" He released her and wrapped his arms around her, cupping the back of her head to his chest,

"Shh, be still my l'venok you are going to do very well here if you listen to me." He kissed the top of her head as she sucked in air through her lungs and trembled violently in his hold. Dom rose to his feet, scooping her once more in his arms as he walked over to his bed and pulled back the covers before lowering her onto the bed, untangling her shaking fingers from his shirt. "Rest my l'venok, you've exhausted yourself enough." He wiped the tears from her eyes and tenderly kissed the wet trails on her cheeks, "I will wake you up when dinner arrives." Warmth infused her weary body as he drew the covers over her shoulders and stroked her flaxen hair. She felt her lashes grow heavy as the heavy silence consumed her till she felt nothing but the pads of his fingers smoothing the furrows in her brow.

This was how she was raised for the first 10 years of her life in the Bratva. The physician had estimated her age to be between somewhere around 10 so Dom marked her birthday to be on the day he bought her.

He assigned her to an array of trainers where he barred her behind closed doors and worked her tirelessly on submerging her completely into the Bratva. She'd learn to wield and fire a gun fashioned specifically for her hands and disassemble and reassemble a magazine in less than ten seconds. She'd been taught to recognize numerous types of deceptions and learned how to decode and decipher the guilty from the innocent with nothing but her own hands. She'd learn to detect and identify countless number of poisons and toxins and introduced her own immune system to tiny increments of a selected few until she was able to move about without hurling blood. She rarely spoke, her own interactions were with her trainers for the majority of the day and her nights spent with the Pakhan.

Although Dom Ivankov disappeared on many of the nights, he had always returned in the darkest of the night to be there before she closed her eyes. He was the first her eyes sought to in the morning and the last thing she saw. The Pakhan had refused to allow her a room of her own and only allowed kept the room adjacent to his own bedroom open for her to leave her clothes and access to her own bathroom. Until the age of 13, her place at night was in his bed. One would think this tipped over to the disturbing side of the spectrum but no one dared questioned his decision and she simply adjusted to having his presence curled near her at night. He never gave her a proper name.

Her trainers called her miss and she listened.

He only had to purr the pet name he granted her and she'd immediately turned her head, seeking the owner of the voice.

Before she reached 16, she'd acquired an impressive number of hits. Every single assigned murder was dealt as quickly and swiftly as possible. The only time Dom allowed her to fully bloody her hands was when Vincent brought a thief in one day with a course bag tied over his head. The unfortunate soul had violated the Thieves Code of Conduct and now writhed in his seat pleading for mercy. Normally, it wasn't necessary for the Pakhan to deal with such a low ranks, so it came as a shock when he made his presence known.

"P-Pakhan!" One of the trainers stammered as his back snapped straight up in attention and the thief strung up in his seat stiffened,

"D-don't f*ck around with me! Your f*cking Pakhan wouldn't even stoop low enough to tie his own shoes! Why would he come down here anyways?" The leader of the Bratva's entrance was completely unannounced and just as unexpected as the Pakhan entered the room accompanied by his Pacan, Octovio, known to some as Vito and one of the most deadly assassins in the Bratva's family roster. The assassin's long legs ate up the distance as he paused at the door and rested his shoulder against the entryway. He casually crossed his arms and adopted a nonchalant stance that belied the palpable truth that his eyes missed absolutely nothing. Dom's gaze swept past the trainer's shocked gape and landed on her, his glass-stained eyes brightened under the guise of detached interest.

"L'venok," the youth automatically felt her heart give a little shudder as she lowered her head and murmured softly,

"Pakhan." She had grown up splendidly from the years of grueling instruction. Her honed body twitched ever so slightly in anticipation for the icy entity that became a familiar sign of his intimate greeting. The presence touched her with a frigid embrace of wind that kissed her cheeks and wrapped avariciously around her frame. The moment passed and Dom's gaze finally lifted itself from her returned to the thief, who had now gone unnaturally still,

"F-f*ck is that the Pakhan?" He began to struggle in earnest in his bonds, his speech immediately lost its levelheaded dialect as he spat, "I ain't gun' tell you shit! I dun' care what the bloody feck you gun' do to me but you can stick your cocky head in my ass and suck my dick because I ain't gun' say nuthin'!" At the door, the only reaction the derogatory speech raised from the Pakhan was a low chuckle,

"I don't think it will take too long to make you crack. Mr. Welsh." The man fell silent and dropped his head. The soft click of suede leather echoed against the hard concrete as Dom walked the last few feet toward the thief. He stopped a foot away from the man's bare feet and examined the man's hunched shoulders and dirty appearance,

"L'venok? What is the first thing you take from a thief if he infringes the Omerta?" Her eyes fell upon the neatly pressed lines of the Pakhan's suit and she replied,

"The anatomy he used to break the Code Pakhan." Dom turned aside and trained his gaze at her,

"Today, you will be the one who breaks a liar. Come." She moved toward him and stopped beside him. Dom waved a hand to the thief, "how do you plan to make him talk?" She reached out and grabbed one of the man's chair bound hand,

"The finger alone has a total of 3 joints. Every question that goes unanswered will result in a broken joint." She pinched the tip of his index finger, "the first joint is called the distal phalange, it is known to be the most sensitive part of the finger. If I were to break it-" she wretched the point to the side and heard a satisfying crack accompanied by a loud howl, "the pain is great, but bearable." Her finger traced the last two joints, "if I were to break all 14 joints however, I doubt he would be able to hear our questions over his screams." She didn't miss the sardonic tug of amusement on Dom's mouth as he chuffed,

"What else?" She shrugged, "that depends how severe you want me to hurt him. If you want answers, I suggest branding his organs and stitching pieces of his skin to his body. The most obvious solution is to go after his family should he have any-"

"Don't you feckin' hurt my Sofia!" the muffled bellow sounded past gritted teeth and she sighed, "it appears that the thief has a wife or a daughter. Would you like me to bring her here?" Dom silently shook his head and tucked his hands into his pockets,

"You're right Mr. Welsh, under normal circumstances; I wouldn't be present to see through the interrogation. Unfortunately Mr. Welsh, there was an incident that directly involves me." Dom glanced back at his Pacan and began rolling up the sleeves of his suit, "If the rumors were correct, the last person whom you were contracted to was the client I'm after." The Pakhan unbuckled the heavy watch he carried and tucked it into his pocket, "Mr. Welsh, you're client happens to owe me something." He released a hand from his pocket and rubbed the scruff under his chin, "you see, I take great offense when someone carelessly offends those within my family." His voice came off deceptively casual as he bent over to place his mouth close to the Mr. Welsh's ear, "but when the client disappears after insulting what I consider mine, the offense becomes much, much greater." Something dark rose from the Pakhan's large shoulders and settled itself over the thief's head,

"W-what the feck is on top of me?!" The entity allowed one of its talons to suspend warningly over the man's face and he began to scream as the bag on his face started to freeze over. "Stop it! Stop! I'm going to suffocate you heartless bastard!" Dom released a sigh and the entity halted. He stepped back and with a tone so casual it was as if he was strolling down his estate, he asked her,

"L'venok? Where on the throat do you put your hands when you seek to strangle?" her reply was just as indifferent,

"The carotid artery. If done properly, 10 to 20 seconds will be sufficient to force a loss of consciousness. However, it may take 5 minutes for brain damage to occur after strangulation." Dom smiled and gestured to the thief,

"You may do the honors." She reached behind the man and a wrapped an arm around the thief's scraggly neck and instantly tensed; her muscles going taut as she immediately applied an immense pressure over the man's life force,

"Where is your contractor thief?" the sack bag crinkled as the man let out a choked gurgle and from under the bag, a stream of blood seeped into his white collar and dark coat as his entire body violently spasmed under her vice grip. Split seconds before she blood-choked him, her knife had drawn in a blink of an eye, a ring of blood around his neck that was both a warning and a demonstration of her deadly potency. If the Pakhan, noticed, he didn't react,

"I suggest you answer me quickly Mr. Welsh, my patience is growing thin and soon enough, after your body drops dead to the ground, your precious daughter will be paying the price in your place." The man clenched his hands as he continued to shake,

"He's hiding out in one of his rental homes." The thief croaked. Dom smiled, the barest hint of sadistic satisfaction glinting,

"Thank you for your contribution." The words were barely out of his mouth when she drew her blade and plunged the nine inch serrated weapon deep into his chest. Blood spurted out in a wild spray of red, coating her hands and drenching her grip on her knife. She watched as Dom looked upon her with an expression of approval before he turned and strode toward the door,

"Come to my room tonight after dinner." His order rang loud and clear; a terrible omen and a fearful thrill rolled in one.

"Yes Pakhan," was that slight hitch in her tone hers? She quickly schooled her face as she watched him shoulder his way out the door. Octovio glanced at her for a brief second before he gave her a twitch of his lips – his way of acknowledging her – and turned to follow his leader. As the pungent smell of the thief's blood filed the air, she exhaled and stared down at waves of blood still pouring down her hands and felt a slight pang as another set of stars in her soul flickered once before they winked out.

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**Key:**

**L'venok: "Little lion"**

**Pakhan: the title usually granted to the leader or boss of the Bratva**

**Pacan: warrior or in this case, bodyguard to the Pakhan. The title is Usually gifted to the elite of the elite.**


	38. Chapter 38 Release

**Release**

**Whew! This one took awhile to write out! I apologize for taking so long but I had a few obligations along with a week long vacation to meet. Now that I have time to myself, I was finally able to properly sit down and finish this chapter. Thank you for patiently waiting!**

**jolphuong: I've missed you all! **

**Mistress 0f Dragons: It's quite alright to be conflicted, you've seen every single one of the Monarch's bad intentions and have never had a chance to see the good side of her which is perfectly fine. However, listening to her story gives us insight on the reasons behind her depraved actions.**

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By the time dinner rolled around, she'd managed to keep her unsettled stomach under control and masked her emotions from the keen eyes of her trainers. Their perplexed expressions were quickly stifled as the rest of the day continued.

She was grateful that he didn't choose to appear and join her for dinner that night; he rarely ate with her due to the fact that his 'business meetings' kept his schedule constantly sporadic. Her pulse had been pounding in nervous rhythm of disconcerted energy but when he didn't show up after everything had been plated, she resigned herself to another few hours of uneasy anticipation. For the next hour, she forced herself to eat until her cramped stomach could take no more. She escaped to her bathroom first, the only place where reprieve could be sought and proceeded to briskly and efficiently wash down her body. Under the spray of water, her soapy hands brushed over her budding chest and she stared down at the areolas that suddenly looked a little larger than before. The churning feeling in her lower stomach began to squeeze and she placed a hand on her belly and grimaced when her stomach cramped again. Something rolled down her thigh and she glanced down in time to see a trail of crimson red leave her body and follow the flow of water down the drain.

_Blood. _She hurriedly finished washing and lifted her leg to step out of the tub when the unconscious urge to pee had her freezing on the spot as more blood seeped from between her legs. She didn't panic, long and life-threatening situations had taught her that fright did nothing but quicken the end of her life. Instead, she reached out to press a button that signaled for a maid working in the Pakhan's wing.

The maid found her still standing in the tub, she saw her muddled state and smiled,

"I see you've finally gotten your period Miss." She reached down the cabinet under the sink and pulled out a plastic bag wrapped with thick paddings and pulled one out, "here, tuck this in your underwear before you put it on. Make sure to change it every three hours." Under her instruction, she gingerly placed the pad on her undergarment and stepped out, doing her best to ignore the tight sensation in her belly.

When the maid left after giving her a brief explanation, she carefully dressed and looked up at the clock hanging on top of her mirror. It was nearly time for her to see him.

As she walked to her door, she secured the bathrobe around her body and squared her shoulders. Her hand trembled as she reached for the doorknob that connected her room to his and she fisted her hands for a second before she grabbed the knob and twisted it.

He was already seated in his room before her, sitting on an upholstered bench at the foot of the bed, staring at the watch dangling between four fingers. If she hadn't known him, she would've thought the Pakhan was merely examining his watch as he waited for her.

She was no fool.

There was no mistaking the line of tension on his shoulders and going by the icy entity that was perched on his shoulders and hissing up a fit, it wasn't something pleasant.

"Come L'venok." His rumbled murmur tugged at her feet, drawing her to a position she was most familiar with when she first met him; her small body standing between his own.

She must have grown at least an inch because she noticed that her head was more leveled to his face. Dom reached up to take the clasp out of her bundled up hair she'd pinned up before her shower and watched as her now darker shade of honeyed locks fell about her shoulders. She'd cut it shorter and usually kept it tied close to her head to make her movements more fluid during her training and on field assignments so it wasn't often that she was allowed to let her hair down. The feeling of his large fingers sifting through her scalp had her struggling not to close her eyes in drowsy pleasure. He'd done that for the first few nights she slept in his bed. She'd woken up in the morning to his fingers running through her hair and was instantly lulled back to sleep by those mesmerizing fingers at night.

Dom had gradually refrained from giving her those comforting touches as she grew older and by the time she turned 13, he had ceased altogether. Tonight was the first time in 3 years that she saw his face aside from the fleeting appearances he made throughout those years. The hand traveled down to curl around the nape of her neck and she let her body go pliant as Dom gently maneuvered her to settle her body on his lap. His sigh had her releasing one of her own as a wave of silence stole over them,

"Your trainers had much to say about your progress when I spoke with them." His hand drifted down to rest on her knee, her knee-high nightgown had been slightly pulled up and he patted the bare skin there. "they praised you for your sharp mind and said you had the potential to be more cunning than the Pakhan himself one day." Four fingers and a thumb drummed against her leg, "I was very pleased to hear that L'venok." The stifled feeling in her chest smoothened out in relief and she gave him a small nod,

"Thank you Pakhan." Warmth enveloped her midriff and she glanced down to see the hand on her thigh had gone up to rub her stomach,

"I heard from the maid that you began your menstrual cycle?" Another nod and he sighed and dropped a kiss on her head, "I remember my sister complaining about her stomach whenever she started her cycle. Remember to ask one of the maids for a heat pack before you go to bed." She murmured an agreement felt Dom take hold of her chin and bring her head up to look at him,

"Vincent has been trying to convince me that you need a…companion in your life. He and Barin noted that you don't seem to interact much with other members in the family." She couldn't refute his statement. It was true she kept to herself for the last 3 years, even Barin the Bratva's light-hearted technician couldn't crack a smile out of her. She felt Dom's chest swell as he inhaled and he gripped her chin a fraction tighter,

"Barin has a son a few years older than you are and also in training. I believe it would do you both good to work together. You might be able to teach each other a thing or two." The beginnings of excitement stirred in her soul and she nodded,

"Of course Pakhan," when he didn't release her chin, her brows pulled together as she waited for him to finish speaking. Dom exhaled and waited till she was listening to him, "L'venok, it's about time I also give you a name besides the pet name you have now." Her own breathing stilled as her eyes glazed over with…tears?

The Pakhan regarded her for a moment before a wry smile tugged the corners of his lips up,

"Rin Hikaru: cold little star. That was the name my mother would've given me had I been born a girl. She decided upon another name when my sister was born a few years later." He pressed the tip of his finger at her chest, "so tell me, Rin Hikaru, are there still stars alighted inside there?"

* * *

Rafael Barin Junior was an eccentric little fellow with dark hair and a streak of silvery white locks running down both sides of his head. His mother had demanded that if he wanted to keep those silver streaks he would style his hair the way she wanted him to; neatly combed away from the forehead and swept to the side.

The little mute lady standing with her back ramrod straight in front of him was making him itch to give her a poke just to see if she was real. Her startling jade orbs stared impassively back at him as he scratched his gelled head and made another attempt at conversation,

"So…what's your name?" for the first time in the five minutes, there was a subtle glow in her eyes when she finally answered him,

"Rin Hikaru." He shuffled his feet again and abruptly stuck his hand out and gave her his best smile,

"Hullo there Rin Hikaru, my name is Rafael Barin Junior and I'm going to be the strongest Pakhan in the world!" at that statement, she peered curiously up at him and he laughed, "I'm kidding, I don't want to be a Pakhan, it's such a boring job." Rin turned to look at the garden in front of Dom's house,

"What do you want to be then?" her voice told him she could care less about his choice but he decided to tell her anyways,

"I want to be a bartender." That got her attention, she angled her head at his puffed up chest and tilted her head to the side,

"Why would you want to be a bartender? Isn't that a low paying occupation?" the lilting pitches in her tone spoke volumes of her opinion on his choice of career; she thought it was absolutely ludicrous. Refusing to be insulted, he continued,

"My dad took me to one of the bars the Pakhan owns and the bartender who was serving drinks was doing some of the coolest things I've ever seen! He was bouncing cups off his arms and flipping the bottles around! It's called flair." He waved his hands and juggled a stone he'd tucked into his back pocket to demonstrate. Rin muttered something and shrugged her shoulders,

"Whatever. It's up to you." His mouth twisted in a boyish frown and he reached over to poke her shoulder,

"What do you want to be?" Rin's gaze was devoid of all emotion as she tilted her head up at the sky,

"I want to be Pakhan of the Bratva." Rafael nodded along amiably,

"I heard from dad about your little situation. You've got your entire life written out already eh?" he flipped the pebble and caught it on the back of his hand, "That sounds pretty lame doesn't it?" his thumbed flicked the rock up in the air and he instinctively ducked in time to hear the loud snap of the pebble exploding where his face was seconds ago.

"Hey!" he shouted as he sat up to swipe dust fragments off his shoulders, "what was that for?" he immediately froze when the tip of the muzzle of a maxim 9 hovered in front of his forehead,

"The Pakhan is _not _lame." menace dripped from every word and Rafael showed her his raised palms,

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Can you put the gun down now?" When she waited, he sighed and made a move to lower his shoulders when he suddenly twisted and smashed the flat of his hand against the inside of her wrist and folded his other hand around the barrel jerking it to the side.

It would've worked if he hadn't sorely underestimate the strength of her grip along with the amount of power the 13 year old possessed in her little body because he found himself with his cheek pressed sharply to the ground, his arms folded behind him at a bone-breaking angle and cold steel digging into his temple.

"Apologize." Rin tightened her grip on his elbow and he tasted dirt. She was good. He'd give her that much. However, her position over him wasn't without flaws,

"I said I was sorry." His voice was muffled by the stone pavement and he gritted his teeth when she shoved harder,

"You've apologized to the Pakhan. Now apologize for insulting me." Exasperation bit at him and Rafael shifted his shoulders,

"No way." He growled and bucked, his legs swept up and slammed at her ankle, kicking her hard enough to throw her off and Rafael twisted his chest to the side to avoid the almost silent ping go off from her gun. Shards shattered near his cheek and he cursed as he threw an elbow at her. Rin parried the blow and lunged to completely cut off his movements when Rafael, with long arms and equally long fingers, reached out and grabbed her wrist. Strength rippled up his forearms and he wrenched the gun away from her hand and pinned her to the ground, his hands enveloping her wrists and his legs securing her own till he held her immobile in his grasp. Rafael couldn't help but give himself a mental pat on the back as he rose to his full height – a good 5 "9" - and strode back to the bench, "I'm more than happy to apologize to the Pakhan but to a kid 3 years younger than me?" he shot her a triumphant grin, "not a chance." He plopped her unceremoniously down onto the seat and stared down at those impassive orbs that burned a hooded flame directly into his own dark eyes.

"I've misjudged the length of your limbs." There was no accusatory bite in her words, only a mild acknowledgement of her error. Rafael could practically see the cogs turning in her mind as Rin filed the information away in her small head and she bent to pick up her handgun and tucked it away into her coat. She tugged back at the long sleeve and glanced down at the silver watch wrapped higher up her forearm. "It's time for training." She stood up and brushed her hands down her pants and Rafael hastily stuck his hand out,

"Well…it's nice to meet someone who does the same thing I do," he could feel the back of his ears burn when those bottle green eyes that he was beginning to find attractive blink at his outstretched hand and then returned to his face.

Heck, he might as well apologize while he was at it,

"I'm…I'm sorry for insulting you. You were pretty fast at countering me back there." To his relief, the barest hint of a smile graced the corner of her pert mouth and a warm hand clasped his own,

"Thank you…you're a good fighter too…Rafael." She gave his hand a brief squeeze before she abruptly broke the connection and presented him her back. Just as the front door closed behind her, Rafael cupped his hands together and shouted,

"See you later!" the door slid shut with a resounding click and he stared at the barrier for as second before he stuck his hands into his pocket and headed for his father's wing, wondering if he could convince his dad to let him visit the bar with him again.

* * *

Dom had never raised his hand on her, he didn't see the need to really punish her when she was doing her best to follow the plans he'd set out for her.

Until she turned 16 that is.

She'd become as close as a budding female teenager could to the only person she could safely call her friend. True to Rafael's word, he'd happily indulged in what he wanted to do most and worked part time behind one of the Pakhan's most frequented bars.

However, Dom had strictly forbidden her from leaving the home boundaries with the exception of her field assignments and the occasional meeting she accompanied him. Rin didn't question his judgement. But she did notice the significant cattiness in his entity as it continued to lengthen the distance between the shoulders of its master and expanded its icy aura around her body. That incisive grip now dug non-too gently into her roped arms and she went perfectly still the second the Pakhan entered her room, her hands stiffening along the braid of her hair that she was allowed to grow longer.

"Where are you going L'venok?" Dom's question wasn't without the hidden layer of danger that warned her to choose her words before she spoke.

"Rafael has finally been promoted to head bartender and he asked me to celebrate with him." She knew he'd catch her so she didn't try to conceal her intentions. The Pakhan's movements mimicked a predator's as he maneuvered around her bed and settled himself onto the sofa against the wall,

"Has he?" A shiver traveled up her spine and she repressed it with a nonchalant shrug and carefully wrapped the braid twice around her head and pinned the sides with hair pins,

"He's ecstatic about his accomplishment." Rin allowed the six years to training to wash away from her expression and shot him a pleading look, "I have never been able to step foot outside of the house without your permission. I am not the child you saw at the orphanage." She dropped her hands and clasped them together, "Three hours. Please give me that much." She watched in tense apprehension as Dom began to methodically unbuckle the watch he always wore around his wrist and rubbed the flat of his thumb over the underside of the case back.

"What are you planning to wear?" the entity reluctantly released her and Rin stood up and disappeared into the walk in closet for a second before she emerged with her dress hanging off a clothes hanger. It was an off shoulder, satin black number with an elegant cut down the thick shoulder strap that parted way for a lace fabric stitched in between the bands. The entire dress would encase her entire body from the tops of her breasts down to her trim waist and hugged her toned thighs. Her trainer had purchased the cocktail dress for her with a lecture that a woman should not go on a field assignment that required her to dress for the role of a lady with elegance.

Dom's sharp inhale was not lost on her as the Pakhan fixated his gaze onto the dress, his obsidian orbs darkened and the thumb that was running along the curve of his watch went slack,

"Put it on." He rasped and she obliged, vanishing again into her wardrobe and reappearing with the form fitting dress.

Time slowed as the band of Dom's watch slipped from his fingers and fell with a loud clatter onto wooden floor.

"My L'venok…"

* * *

There were many things Dom's gut was sure of when he decided to take a chance and visit the orphanage in search of someone who struck him with the potential to become more than what they were worth.

His intuition was rarely ever wrong.

6 years later, it now reaped the results of his efforts.

The entity within him had let out a hiss of pleasure the second Dom stepped past the heavily barred doors of the orphanage and the man impetuously knew he'd found what he was looking for. His instinct hit its mark the moment his fingers curled into those stunning locks of spun gold,

_"This one is a pleasure to look at. I can only imagine how stunning she would become as a woman."_

The little creature had grown up into a stunning lioness with a slender neck attached to a pair of breasts that were still in the midst of maturity and encased with slender limbs and a body that did well to cover the skin of vicious strength and lethality he knew she possessed.

His lioness had coiled up her hair in a braided, gold crown. She reached down and rolled up the side of her dress revealing a band holstered to a pistol and a knife strapped to her thigh. Something dark surged up Dom's body and he was swift to conceal it by bending down to pick up his watch. His index and thumb habitually flicked at the clasp as he continued to stare at her.

_"__My L'venok has grown," _He realized and the tip of his thumb snapped the metal even faster.

She would go to meet Barin's son and celebrate whatever the f*cking brat had in store for her. Dom had watched as the connection between the two grew till his own conscious pricked at him. For the first time in what was a very long time, the Pakhan found himself unsure if he made the right call allowing them to work together. The being within was clearly infuriated with his decision.

His L'venok would be surrounded by hungry eyes that would scour her young and nubile body. They would see how magnificently she had blossomed and vie for her attention. She'd be convinced to amuse the brat and whatever seedy companions he made with copious amount of drinks until she was intoxicated.

_"__I can restrict her from going." _The metal clinked against his nail and Dom opened his mouth, ready to give her a piece of his brooding mind,

"Please…" there it was again, that damning pleading tone in her voice that he had yet to hear from her mouth. His L'venok never begged. She never beseeched him for anything. The only words she spoke that came with "please" was when it was attached to an uptight phrase of politeness.

_"__I cannot stop her." _Dom squeezed his eyes shut as the entity let out a roar of alarm and he lashed a chain of ice around it, closing his mind to all objections,

"Come here L'venok." His knees automatically parted to accept the only body he allowed to come into contact with him for the last 6 years. Holding her gaze, Dom slowly fastened his watch around his wrist,

"Set your watch L'venok. You have exactly three hours to enjoy yourself with Barin's son. The moment your three hours are up, I expect you to present yourself in my room." The Pakhan's eyes flew open and he pinned her to the ground with his eyes, "do you understand Rin? Three hours. No more," his hands rose to close his fingers over her waist. Rin nodded,

"Yes Pakhan." Dom wrapped his large hand around her wrist and slid up to thumb the watch he'd given to her on her 13th birthday,

"Heed my words L'venok," the Pakhan's voice suddenly dropped as pure, intolerable ice coated his words and his entire body hummed as Rin's head shot up to look at him,

"I will be counting the seconds. Every second you are late, will equal a minute of the punishment I will give you. Every minute you are late will equal an hour of your sentence." Dom held her stare for a full minute, letting her see the severity of his order.

"Do not make me regret letting you go L'venok." Dom watched Rin's eyes widened ever so slightly and she dipped her head down almost frantically,

"Yes Pakhan."

Dom fervently hoped that his L'venok understood.


	39. Chapter 39 Rampant

**Rampant**

**The releases are slower since classes are beginning again. So please bear with me. I ran in a huge writing block that left me hanging dry for awhile. **

**Out of curiosity, did anyone catch who the Bartender is now in the Inner City? Hehe.**

**Mistress of Dragons: I have mentioned that Dom is entering his forties so he is getting...well...old. You are right to have a bad feeling. **

**Juli5014417: I've updated! Thank you for reading!**

* * *

"Rin! You made it!" Rafael's infectious grin drew a small smile out of her and Rin tilted her head toward him and raised her hand to his direction; the brief acknowledgement was the most he'd gotten out of her during the first years since their introduction.

The bar wasn't as full as usual since weekdays always plodded a bit slower than the weekends and tonight was no different. Surrounding Rafael were a number of people scattered around the table dressed in similar fashion. With the Pakhan's permission, the doors had been shut at approximately 9 pm allowing Rafael's invited guests access to a variety of drinks and entertainments provided in the tavern.

Curious eyes turned upon her name and Rin ignored them, automatically adopting a casual stance as she leaned over the table where Rafael mixed cocktails and permitted her friend to close his arms around her in a brief hug.

"How've you been? The boss finally let you out of your cage?" Rin shot him a scowl and sat back on the stool,

"He has every right to do what he sees fit for me." Rafael juggled a glass bottle and a cocktail glass that he positioned in front of him,

"Right, right, whatever the Pakhan says goes." Rin watched as Rafael's biceps squeezed for a second before the cork popped and he carefully measured the amount in shaker and with a thumb and finger, swiftly concocted a glass he claimed he created just for her and slid the contents toward her, "here, give it a go, it's got the right amount of alcohol and fruit you requested." He had balanced a sliced lemon right on the edge of the glass before he sent it to her. Rin slowly twirled the drink in her hands, admiring the auburn and yellow hue it had along with the rich color of pearl satin drifting at wine's core,

"Cheers Rafael Barin Junior," she tipped the cup toward him before she lifted the glass and swallowed the contents. Milliseconds before she swallowed, her tongue darted out to immerse the liquid onto her palate before she allowed the rest to flow down her throat. Rafael smirked and he turned around to whip up another order,

"Is the poison working yet?" his teasing wasn't lost on her and Rin swiped her lips,

"You'll have to wait a bit longer if you want the results." With a skill she knew was born through practice, he flipped a flair bottle and caught it with the back of his hand and gently tipped the shook contents into another glass. Rin nodded at him, "is this what you plan on doing for the rest of your life?" Rafael, paused mid-wipe of his shaker and blew out a hard breath, the rush of air pushed his long hair from his forehead reminding her he was still 19 and young,

"I dunno, my dad wants me to quit "playing around" and get back to working with him on cracking codes and profiling for the Pakhan." Rafael turned to flash a wink as one of the girls waved her empty cup at him and sauntered over,

"Raffy! I need a refill!" A buxom blonde with sapphire orbs and a thousand-watt smile seated herself onto the stool beside Rin and pushed her glass toward Rafael, "keep the alcohol coming love," her eyes landed on Rin and she blinked, "Who's your new friend here? Introduce me!" Rafael's mouth tilted up in a sly grin as he angled his head toward her,

"Rin, this one of my friends Angel, she's been teaching me the ropes behind the counter, I'd thought I'd give her a break for today since I'm so nice," He nudged Rin toward the woman as the assassin gave the blonde an amiable nod,

"Hello." The woman raised a trim brow and shot Rafael a look,

"Oh? She's the one you've been raving to me about last week right?" A slash of red stained Rafael's cheekbones as he rolled his eyes as he refilled her glass,

"Do you mind introducing her to everyone for me? I'll join you all in a bit." Before Rin could object, Angel had linked a pale arm through her own crooked elbow and made a move to drag her toward the large group strewn out on tables shoved together. The abrupt gesture had Rin instinctively locking her knees and she nearly yanked Angel off her heels as her weight sunk to her legs grounding her to a stop.

"What's wrong?" Angel jerked to a sudden stop and turned her head to look at her, "you alright?" Caution screamed at her and Rin schooled her expression; she was going to murder Rafael after this, he knew she did not do well in large crowds.

"Nothing." She managed a wane smile and allowed her to pull her over to the tables. The second she approached them, those roving pairs of eyes fell upon her with blatant interest.

"This is Rafael's little friend?" the voice, cocky and overflowing with self-assured arrogance came from a sandy haired colleague as he rose from his sprawled position and ambled toward them. The glimmer of interest he suddenly had on her was unnerving and Rin bit the inside of her cheek as the twitching on her fingers increased; her beloved knives were only centimeters away from the pads of her fingers. The way Rafael's friend was eying her made her want to plunge the tips of her daggers into his eyes and hook them out of his sockets; she was damn sure the sound would be more satisfying than the way he was speaking to her.

"Leonardo, this is Rafael's friend Rin. Rin, this is the guy work closely with here at the bar." As Rin grasped Leonardo's outstretched hand, the extra squeeze he gave her and the lingering trace of his forefinger along her wrist left her nothing but unease.

Without out another word, Rin extracted herself from Angel's arm and seated herself onto a chair at the very end so that she was facing the entire table; this way, she could get the jump on anyone who approached her.

The next two hours had her nearly bored to tears; why did she even agreed to Rafael's pleaded 3 hours? Not to mention the brown-haired friend of his hadn't once taken his eyes off her from. She scrupulously avoided his gaze and focused on observing Rafael's friends as they joked around helped themselves to more liquor. It was only when Rafael slipped beside her when she allowed herself to enjoy herself in his company. As the lights dimmed and the majority of the group including Rafael left their seats to dance. Rin shook her head when he offered her to join him checked the watch on her forearm for the nth time when a body kicked a chair beside her,

"So why has Rafael been hiding a sweet thing like you?" what she would give to be able to ignore Leonardo who had been eyeing her for the past hour. She could barely make out his words and turned to face him,

"He hasn't been hiding me anywhere." Rafael's friend grinned and gave her a shot,

"Want some?" she hesitated before she took the cup. The Pakhan had never allowed her to touch alcohol, and without his brooding gaze, her 16-year-old self was encouraging her to have a taste.

After a brief pause, the liquid burned down her throat and Rin blinked, refraining from making a face; it was bitter. She set the cup back on the table as Leonardo knocked one back and kicked his legs up,

"Bullshit, my man always shares his things with me." She caught the innuendo and stiffened,

"What is that suppose to mean?" her voice was ice and the man snickered,

"It means we like to swap information about each other along with women," his tone dropped a decibel as he played with his glass, "my uncle works under Rafael's dad you know, so I know a lil' bit about the Pakhan too," if he expected Rin to react, he would be sorely disappointed. Rafael's friend reached out to grab another tumbler, "I heard from my uncle a few months ago the Pakhan found someone who would follow his footsteps," his eyes trailed over to her, "Rafael mentioned this morning that the friend he was bringing was someone his dad works for." Leonardo cracked his neck, "it's you, isn't it? I've never seen you before and you're not someone Rafael has ever switched with me." He licked his lips and shifted closer,

"Let me tell you a little theory I have when I heard about you. You know what I think the Pakhan bought you for?" his face hovered ever so dangerously near, "my uncle told me the Pakhan is probably f*cking you in his bed every night right? Since he's never seen bringing women into his room for the last couple of years?" in a flash, Rin shot up from her seat and gripped the back of her chair; he was begging for her to kill him wasn't he? She was sure Rafael wasn't going to miss him. Leonardo watched her, the unconcealed smile bare for her to see,

"My uncle has spent years trying to dig up dirt on your Pakhan. He hit the jackpot didn't he?" he shook his head mockingly, "No wonder why the Pakhan hasn't been f*cking anyone lately, he was a f*cking pedophile all along." The mocking grin turned ugly as Rin finally faced him,

"Who are you." Her mind screamed for her to strike as she discreetly inched her hand down to do just that -

"My uncle has some rather incriminating pictures that I'm sure you would hate to see go public. I know how much the Bratva value their pride. If this information were to say…be leaked to any rivaling group…say, the Luciano-" She flinched then and his eyes flicked to her legs and trailed lewdly up her body, "Uh, uh, hands up baby, I saw you palming those knives I know you're hiding under that dress." His legs spread and his hand patted his leg, "don't be so hostile? Why don't you sit here for a bit so we'd be more comfortable?" the promising smile he gave her egged her to shoot him, "we don't want Rafael coming here thinking something is wrong right?" Rin spared a glance over her shoulder at her friend in the thick of the crowd. Disgust and dread trickled down her body and she returned to her seat, ignoring him.

The Luciano were a powerful group who waged a bitter war against Dom when he shut down their prostitution ring three years before she entered the family. The streets were painted and drenched in blood by the time the war was over and the rage the Luciano held for Dom was unparalleled. The only reason they hadn't gone headfirst and staged another attack was because Dom's name alone and the amount of threat he posed was enough to dither them.

But not for long, something vile was stirring and from the bits and pieces of information Rin had gathered from eavesdropping the Pakhan's conversations and the murmurs she'd picked up from the servants, the Luciano were on the verge of striking back.

Rin knew well enough that if Dom allowed the Luciano even a fingerhold onto him, even if the evidence was far from the truth, it would be enough for the bastards to take off an entire arm and eat it.

That reason was enough for her to force herself to listen. There was a rat in the family and right now, it was on her head to snuff it out as quickly and as quietly as possible. The arrogant man sitting in front of her was going to the tool for the scheme she was forming in her mind.

_Tick. Tick. Tick. _The dial against her skin pulsed a warning tune of the limited amount of time she had left. Rin cast a frustrated look at the watch on her arm and covered her hand over it; no was not the time for distractions.

"What do you want from me?" Rafael's friend crossed his ankle over his knee and loosened his necktie,

"I need a way into the Pakhan's good graces." He reached into his breast pocket and withdrew a small drive in which he dangled between his fingers. "this should be the incentive for you to get me in."

_Tick. Tick. Tick. _She could practically feel every tap shoot into her arm and clenched her hands,

"The Pakhan does not allow just anyone into his family." The man bent forward, the beginnings of another mocking smile creased his glinting eyes,

"Oh I'm aware of that. That's why I need _you _to help me." He leaned back into his seat and stuffed his hands into his pockets, "you, babe, are going to go back home like a good little girl and tell your Pakhan that you've invited me – your newfound and very close friend- over for dinner." Rin couldn't stop her brows from shooting up in shock; was the man insane?

"That's impossible." The grin blew flat out,

"Nothing is impossible if you don't want those pictures to get out sweetie." Leonardo reached and placed his hand on her knee, "now smile and pretend we're having a pleasant conversation."

* * *

Dom watched as the thick plum of smoke blow out of his mouth and wafted into the air and out the slightly open window. His finger tapped at the thick cigar, knocking out the ashes before he returned it to his mouth.

For the sixth time in the past hour, the man's eyes trailed up to the large, extravagant clock hanging over the door of his study: a little less than 30 minutes remained before his L'venok's expected return. For a moment, Dom allowed the idea of her using the excuse of a party of escape his grasp wander into his mind before he shook it off; she would never leave him, not when her existence depended on him. The Pakhan filled his lungs with smoke, hoping the narcotics would help soothe him.

It didn't.

The entity wasn't of any help either. The second the door closed behind her, it had thrown itself into a spitting fit of fury at him and nearly tore his mind into shreds. The accusing howls it spat out weighed heavily on his mind and the urge to storm out and drag her back into the safety of his arms beat at him.

Two short knocks in staccato were his saving grace and Octovio open the door. The Pakhan found his body bent forward, seeking for the one person who'd ease the niggling feeling of disquiet in his mind.

"It's Vincent." Irritation surged forward as Vincent popped his head in and Dom yanked the cigar from his clenched teeth before he grinded it to pulp.

"Is she here yet?" Dom snapped. The underboss opened and closed his mouth before he reached up to touch the earpiece in his ear,

"No, she's still in the bar." The Pakhan didn't miss weary hitch in his underboss's tone and his left hand automatically reached for his watch; did his L'venok really think he'd let her go on her merry way to a bar – _a f*cking bar! _\- without any eyes watching her?

"She still has 20 minutes." Octovio crossed his arms and leveled his gaze at his Pakhan as Dom began to rub circles around the case. As soon as the words left the Pacan's mouth, Vincent cursed and Dom zeroed his eyes upon him,

"What now." The word spat out, rough and heavy as the normally cool visor the underboss wore melted from his expression revealing a look that stirred the first pricks of unease.

"She's sitting with Jose's f*cking brat Leonardo." Dom roughly bit down onto the cigar and twined his fingers together propping them under his chin; Leonardo, where had he heard that name?

"Jose has a kid?" Vincent nodded,

"Yea, his dad works under Barin in the factory on the edge of our border."

"And he's friends with Barin's kid Rafael?" another acknowledging grunt from the underboss and Vincent grabbed the file tucked under his arm and slid it over to Dom,

"Speaking of Barin, he found something interesting he thought you'd like to know." Dom flipped open the cream manila and couldn't help but chuckle when he saw what was written on the front,

"The Luciano's are back again eh?" as the Pakhan scanned the contents his brows drew down in dark thunderstorms. When he finally glanced up, Octavio had already finished checking the clip in his Sig Sauer, "How much do they know about Rin?" Vincent grimaced,

"Enough to suspect that she'll be the one who inherits everything when she's ready."

The entity let out a screech. Dom snuffed his cigar rose to his feet,

"Gather the Brotherhood. We have a rat in the family." he rumbled and Octavio jerked his head down and reached into his pocket.

Vincent suddenly swore and pinched the mic in his ear,

"Bring Rin back, and make sure you keep the f*cking brat's hands away from her."

All the blood rushed up into Dom's head and burned a line of ice and fire into his stoked temper. A low snarl rumbled from his throat as Vincent and Octavio went deathly still as the entity burst forth and coated the walls in a layer of frost, blasting the window panes to pieces. It was a full five seconds of silence before Dom managed to rein back his temper, the tendons along his neck trembled as the Pakhan forced the ice to retreat.

In a voice, so taciturn it was born from the devil himself, Dom hissed,

"Kill him." There was a hesitating pause,

"He's just a kid Do-" a clawed hand shot out and squeezed around Vincent's throat, picking the large man up and slamming him with ruthless force to the wall.

Unlike the fools who fought against the hold and were strangled to their deaths, his underboss knew better and stayed lax till the entity released him.

"Consider it done." Vincent rasped as he rubbed his throat. The Pakhan braced his palms against the edge of his desk and tilted his head up to look at the ornate clock above his door.

Half past 10.

The beginnings of a thunderous clawing of fire speared into his gut and spread up his chest. The sound of polished wood cracking beneath his clenched fingers split the silence as Dom glared at the long hand of the clock.

She. Was. F*cking. Late.

_"I will be counting the seconds. Every second you are late, will equal a minute of the punishment I will give you. Every minute you are late will equal an hour of your sentence." Dom held her stare for a full minute, letting her see the severity of his order._

_"Do not make me regret letting you go L'venok." Dom watched Rin's eyes widened ever so slightly and she dipped her head down almost frantically,_

_"Yes Pakhan."_

All rational fled his mind, in that moment, the only thought in his head was the number of hours he'd punish her.

In that moment, one of the most feared man in the Old World felt the steel control he had on his sanity falter.

In that moment, the Pakhan knew without a doubt his L'venok would bear the brunt of his anger when she came back.

In that moment, Dom feared for the stars his L'venok still possessed.

_"Do not make me regret letting you go L'venok."_

In that moment, he feared for her life.

"Bring her home." The words were a mere whisper and Octavio and Vincent immediately vanished. Another precious second was used to gather himself before Dom headed up to his wing. The moment the Pakhan entered his bedroom, he sank down at the foot of the bed and stared into the lit fireplace, the flames dancing a mesmerizing blaze, the Pakhan's fingers deftly loosened and slipped the heavy watch from his wrist.

As Dom idly spun the chain between his fingers, he allowed the raging entity to take control,

"Please leave before she returns." He murmured.

* * *

**Whew! One at least more chapter before we jump back to to the main story! I'm so excited!**

**Comments and Critiques are appreciated! **


	40. Chapter 40 Rubicon

**Rubicon**

**This is the final chapter of the Monarch's background. I cannot believe it took me almost 3 months to brainstorm and agonize over the details and make sure everything connected properly but with the events that took place, the result was the longest chapter that I will ever write for this story. Thank you for your patience. **

**Mistress of Dragons: Wow! It's been such a long time since i've updated! How are you doing? Yeah, i honestly had no idea how the events would turn out or how i would write it but a LOT of things happened. **

** Juli6014417: You're welcome! I'm sorry for taking so long with the this chapter!**

**skyviolet15: I'm sorry that you got so confused! Please don't hesitate to pm me or ask me any questions! Don't worry! You won't have to remember all the names! Yes, yes i think it's best if you read from the beginning to get the idea of the story haha. **

* * *

Rin didn't drink again for the rest of the night. Her knees refused to stop their nervous tapping despite her efforts to still it. She glanced over at Leonardo engaged in what seem to be an easy-going conversation with one of Raphael's friends and her lips thinned. Her gaze narrowed onto the man's inconspicuous breast pocket.

Leonardo had given her a brief glimpse of the data chip containing the images whatever else information he'd garnered before he stowed it away in his person for safe keeping. He had in mind to head over to his uncle's house after the party and give him the drive when Rin had appeared and took hold of his interest.

She knew by all means she needed to get her hands on that drive. Once she had it in her hands, she was going to kill him.

Anything else was deplorable. Failure was not an option.

"Out of your bubble yet?" Raphael slid into the seat beside her, a drink in hand and Rin snapped her eyes to him. It took a split second for him to read the downturn twist of her mouth and the tense set of her shoulders to surmise that something had gone wrong.

However, the striking glare of emerald fury Rin threw his way gave Raphael a pause and he quickly hid his startled countenance behind his glass.

It was the most emotion he'd seen her display in the three years they'd known each other. She'd given him tight smiles and flashes of amusement when he did something that made her chuckle, but he had yet to perceive her expression of anger the way he witnessed tonight.

Rin could become annoyed, irritated, peeved, exasperated and even grumpy, but as Raphael's keen eyes tracked the slight vibration of her arms and her ramrod straight posture, instinct warned him that she was in a very dangerous mood.

"What is the matter?" Raphael dropped his voice to a low murmur and switched his tongue to Russian. The muscle on Rin's cheek jumped as she glared daggers at the shot sitting on the table,

"I'm going to exterminate a rat." She said softly. Years of experience kept Raphael from leaping to his feet in shock and he took another sip,

"Who?"

"Nine o' clock." He knew better than to react,

"Is its squeaking bothering you?" Rin's fingers fiddled with the edges of her dress as she studied the cup,

"It knows too much." Raphael slid his eyes toward Leonardo and he frowned,

"What does he know? His father was exiled into the Bratva's borders. Not even his family is allowed to see him." Rin's fingers curled inward and her lashes fluttered close to her cheek as she exhaled,

"Not when a rat has created an alliance with a cat," Rafael immediately stiffened as realization dawned upon him and steady jade orbs looked at him knowingly, "you of all people should know the consequences." For a minute, he sat dumbstruck at the weight of her words. Then he carefully placed his glass back onto the table,

"I can't let you do that Rin." She didn't look up and he reached out and grabbed her shoulder, forcing her to face him, "damnit look at me." Raphael injected rational calm into his voice,

"Let me deal with him. He's one of my oldest friends." Rin shook her head,

"This doesn't concern you." Rafael tightened his grip onto her shoulder,

"Like hell it does." He snapped and took a breath, "look I'll talk to him. You're my guest and I invited you here because I wanted you to relax and enjoy yourself." He ran an agitated hand through his hair and dragged it viciously down his face, "I'm responsible for inviting you here. I'll handle this." When it was clear that she wasn't going to budge, Raphael hissed and grasped both of her hands,

"How long have we known each other Rin?" Her answer was automatic,

"Three years and four months." Raphael bobbed his head,

"So, what am I to you?" She blinked and looked at him blankly before she replied,

"You're my friend." It was such an unpretentious response, but it was more than enough for gratification to seep into his body,

"So put yourself in my shoes. If it was me who betrayed the Bratva and you were ordered to kill me, your friend, would you do it without hesitation?" The answer was more than obvious and her mouth opened to answer when she found the words lodged in her throat.

_Raphael dying by her hands. The image of life seeping from his body and into the cold daggers in her slick palms where she'd plunged them into his chest, his breathless gasp as he sucked in one last dying breath…_

She couldn't.

Raphael observed her reaction as Rin shifted uneasily in her seat,

"I…can't." she mumbled and Raphael gripped her hands,

"You startin' to feel a bit of what I'm going through?" he didn't wait for her to acknowledge him and stood up, "so sit back and relax. Go find Angel and talk to her, you remember who she is right?" at her nod, Raphael gave her shoulder a final squeeze when she reached up and grabbed his tie. He glanced down in surprise when Rin wound her wrist around the length of fabric and tugged him down till her mouth was level to his ear,

"He has a data chip he hid in his breast pocket. I need that chip no matter what." Raphael nodded,

"Gotcha." There was a soft breath as Rin inhaled.

"Thank you… for helping me." Something akin to a blush burned his ears and Raphael straightened his back, resolved, and made his way toward Leonardo.

* * *

Rin watched as Raphael grabbed Leonardo's bicep. There was an exchange between them and Raphael all but dragged his friend to the back of the tavern before they disappeared behind a corridor. She reached out for the full shot she'd been glaring at and without pausing to examine the emotion that drove it, downed its contents in one swallow.

She'd give Raphael 10 minutes, if he didn't show up with the chip, she'd go after him. As her fingers idly traced the rip of the cup, her mind drifted over to the conversation she had with the rat. Where had Leonardo gotten the information? Dom had done everything but bar her up to prevent the world from discovering her existence. Her fingers froze when an idea arose unbidden and took hold.

What if it was Raphael who'd revealed the reason why the Pakhan adopted her? She knew without a doubt the Luciano, if word got out, would be gunning for her head. Rin was adept enough in close combat, but her training was far from complete. Gut instinct had her skin prickling and she had a dreaded inkling that the night would not run as smooth as she hoped.

Rin closed her eyes as her meditation kicked in and she worked to soothe away the spastic feeling of unease that threatened to consume her. Now was not the time to become agitated, she needed every ounce of her concentration if she was going to get through the night with the chip and some semblance of a cool head.

The doors to the tavern suddenly burst open snapping her out of her meditation and in streamed a small group of men dressed in dark coats. The moment they headed toward Rin, she recognized the insignia on their lapels and swiftly rose to her feet; Dom's men had arrived, that boded ill.

"The Pakhan demands your return." Rin glanced warily at them and felt a brief flash of panic,

"What's going on?" the one nearest to her shook his head,

"We were only told to escort you home." At the mention of the Pakhan, years of conditioning had her body automatically moving for the door. It was only when her heels clicked onto the metal bar protruding from the wooden floors when she stopped and turned her head in the direction of the back of the bar. She couldn't leave without that chip!

"I…" words failed her and Rin faltered a step when the driver's door to the sleek vehicle opened and Brent, Dom's personal chauffeur stepped out to open the back seat.

"Mrs. Rin." Brent bowed his head, "we must leave now." She detected the subtle tightness in his voice and grimaced and casted another look over her shoulder.

"I can't leave yet, Raphael…" her throat locked when anger flashed over Brent's lined contours before he concealed it. Brent, like many of Dom's closest personal assistants were professional at donning an impeccable mask of unflappable calm. To hear the fluctuation in his pitch highlighted the urgency in his tone.

"You are already very late Miss. Rin." He said softly. It was more than enough to turn her blood to ice and her heart stuttering to a halt.

_Late?_

Her hands shook a bit as she turned her arm upward to read the time on her watch.

She was already 20 minutes late.

Time resumed its course in a tumultuous and frantic spin as her heart began to wildly pound at the punishment he promised to give her should she fail to keep her promise.

The brief and abrupt flash of discomfort on Brent's face when she looked imploringly at him was more than enough to tell her just how badly she f*cked up. Rin tilted her head up to the night sky.

When she arrived, the night was brimming with stars.

Now, stormy clouds were converging over the sky, covering the world a sobering ash of gray.

"Please take me home Brent." The data chip would have to wait, she could not afford to waste any more time. Brent dipped his head,

"A wise choice." She did not need him to tell her what was more vital. Even from this distance she could already feel the dark whispers of Dom's fury and rage reached out its arm and stifle the entirety of the vehicle as two other men seated themselves on either side of her and the third secured himself in the passenger seat.

It was impossible to smother the erratic fright that attacked her insides and twisted her stomach to knots as the vehicle sped away further away from Raphael and the data chip. From above the surface of the vehicle, the distinct sound of droplets spattered the roof of the car. Rin let out a shaky exhale as the soft taps steadily grew to a plummeting torrent of rain and hail as the car sped down the pitch-black road illuminated only by the headlights. She shut her eyes and allowed her head to land with a soft thump against the headrest; her life was completely held in this man's hands.

_"You are mistaken when you said that I had stars. There are no stars hiding within me." _They were cold, cold words that lacked the warmth his arms possessed. She was conscious enough at their initial meeting to catch the lingering depth of regret hidden behind the Pakhan's dark exterior but her exhausted body had been too tired to ponder what he meant.

_"Nothing dwells in there but a soulless beast and a heartless entity."_ Her mind recalled Dom's portrayal of himself, the raw power leashed and chained with a tightly controlled rein. What surprised her, however, was the level of animosity his words held. It was as if he despised this power that had been bestowed upon him, that had allowed him to rise heads and shoulders above the world. It was then when a crack of thunder and lightning split the air and encompassed the car when Dom's foreboding warning finally dawned upon her.

_"So please forgive me, sweet lion, for I will be taking those stars from you too."_

* * *

"What's so important that you had to drag me all the way over here to talk?" Leonardo crossed his arms and hooked an ankle over his shoe as he inspected Raphael. "Well?"

Raphael regarded his friend of well over five years. Even now, he had a hard time wrapping his head around Rin's warning. His friend bluffed and threw airs but was as people would say, 'all bark and no bite.' Hence it was puzzling as to why his friend would hold such a secret from him.

"What are you keeping from me?" Leonardo furrowed his brows and shoved his hands into the pockets of his slacks,

"Whatever do you mean?" Raphael advanced onto his friend,

"Rin was complaining to me that you took something that belonged to her. She asked me to get it back from you." He held out his hand, "I promised her I would, but I want to ask you something first." Raphael narrowed his eyes at him, "when was the last time you saw your dad?" Leonardo shrugged as his arms slackened,

"Oh, a few months ago, maybe? He doesn't show up in these parts of town, too busy being the Pakhan's exiled dog." The last word was spoken with a disdainful sneer that had red flags peeking up in Raphael's mind,

"That's funny." He said softly, "I was taking out the trash last night and saw you talking in the back alley of the bar to someone who looked a hell lot like your father." The muscle along Leonardo's cheek twitched,

"Is it illegal to visit family?" bitterness tinged his voice and Raphael stepped forward,

"It's illegal when your dad's got two strikes to his name along with the fact that he's on the Pakhan's shit list." His eyes zeroed onto his friend's coat pocket, "you've got something for your dad, don't you? You've got something up your sleeve." He extended his hand, "give it here Leo." The blonde youth stared down at his upturned palm and released a dry chuckle,

"What makes you think I've got something to give you?" Leonardo pushed himself from the wall and stalked over till he stopped a foot away from Raphael, "You're right. It's unfortunate that you were there to see it but I was with my father last night." His tight smile widened to a grin, "Want to know the masterplan? My father initiated contact with the Luciano." He laughed and Raphael took a step back,

"He did f*cking what?" he hissed as his hands clenched and Leonardo scoffed,

"Oh don't look so shocked. The Pakhan banished my dad from his position, his family and his home and made him work in the dumps and under _your _f*cking dad. You'd have to expect some sort of revenge right?" Leonardo glared at him, "I've always hated you Raph. So what if it my dad invested in human trafficking? It wasn't hurting anyone." The sandy-haired male bared his teeth and cracked his neck, "but your dad stepped in and ratted my father's ass out." Leo shook his head, "if you only knew what happened to my family after my dad was exiled." His eyes snapped open and he shoved forward, "my family became the laughing stock of the entire Bratva! Do you know how many times my mother tried to kill herself?" Raphael froze, his head reeling with all the information thrown at him and Leonardo forged ahead, "so I'm going to do everything to bring my father's position back up to the top." His dark eyes glowered spitefully at him,

"And I'm going to drown your precious Pakhan and your dad's name in their f*cking blood. The Luciano has promised my family a position among the elites when they take over the territory and kill the Pakhan." Everything snapped. With a howl, Raphael launched himself at his friend only to see his world blast apart in an explosion of pain and Raphael's body crumbled to the ground, stunned. From above, he heard Leonardo tsk,

"Sorry. I can't have any witnesses. I've already called for back-up." There was the sound of boots crunching onto gravel and a gruff voice overhead rumbled,

"The girlie decided to leave early so we've got men tagging her car. We'll ambush them before they reach the house." Raphael muffled a groan as he dragged himself to his feet as his training hardened his body and he bent his arms.

"You're not going anywhere." He growled, his eyes took in the Luciano's insignia flashing in the dim light and up to the large man adjusting his grip onto his weapon. His rogue hair was tied back in a bun freeing his eyes and displaying a large and puckered scar that slashed from one side of his temple to the opposite side of his chin. Right now, those eyes were alighted in interest.

"Oh? This lads' got a hard head. It's not every day someone gets up after taking the back of my blade onto his head." Italian roots coated his heavy accent. Leonardo inched back behind the mammoth,

"Better take him down quick Rome. I figured shouldn't be too hard for you. After all, you are the Luciano's second in command." Raphael lowered his head and prepared to lash out when a multiple number of footsteps broke his attention,

"Mr. Barin!" Dom's men rushed toward him, "the Pakhan has sent reinforce-"

"Stand back!" Raphael bellowed. He was a fraction too late. A lone dagger sliced through the air, the tip of the blade reached its target and sunk straight into the first man's forehead snapping his head back, killing him instantly. There was no time to grieve, he dove down and yanked the blade out of the fallen man's head and sprang toward Luciano's right hand man. A roar flew from his lips and Raphael twisted at the very last second to land a devastating kick to the side of Rome's head,

"You mother*cker!" He hissed as Rome grinned and with a speed he couldn't hope to counteract, the man struck up and wrapped a beefy hand over his calf, imprisoning his movements. One look at Rome's expression and he knew it was his loss. The sound of bone snapping from his knee and his scream of agony coated the night sky. Tendons tore, ligaments ripped apart as every tender nerve in his body came alive in a blinding light of nothing but anguish. His body wept as Raphael flopped like a ragdoll to the dirt ground.

"Fire!" There was no resounding explosion from the hidden firearms. The attack was silent as bullets shot from their silencers, the only sound was the click of the finger to trigger as a row of death struck the Pakhan's men from all sides. They didn't even have time to react before the bullets reached their hearts and they dropped dead without so much as a strangled gurgle. Hope quickly spiraled in a downward angle and Raphael was admitted a final glance at Leonardo's twisted expression of triumph before he felt his body lifted airborne once more,

"Have a nice nap Raphael Barin Junior. You'll need it." The ground rushed to his face and his vision blacked out as everything around him detonated into nothing but blood and agony.

* * *

As the world flew by her sight and carried her closer to him, she could feel it. Feel it with every single tendon and honed fiber in her body. From the nervous synapses that sent light shockwaves of anxious energy down her system, to the way every hair on the nape of her neck and arms stood at attention, and cascaded down to the telltale tremble along the muscles in her legs and hands as Rin braced her body for what she knew would soon manifest into his wrath.

She longed to flee. It was a tempting notion. Freedom to disappear into the storm beckoned her. For a moment, worry for Raphael flitted in her mind and shoved aside her fear and she looked down at her fingers,

"Brent. There's something I have to tell you. We have a rat among the family and he's still in the bar with Raphael." The chauffeur acknowledged her words with another solemn nod,

"It will be reported to him. The Pakhan has suspected that there is a mole among the family and demands your return for your safety." Rin allowed herself a margin of relief and her breath eased. If Dom had control of the situation, then would it be wishful thinking to hope that he understood the cause for her tardiness? As if Brent had the ability to pick up her stray thoughts, he murmured,

"We're almost there." The words were barely out of his mouth when there was an earth-shaking slam and the car flipped over into the air and landed back onto the ground on its head with a screeching slam. Rin felt her body suddenly contorted at a painful angle and she reached up to shove her palms against the mangled ceiling and free her legs. She managed to release her right leg and found her left knee crushed and trapped between the cushion of the driver seat and the headrest.

"Brent!" she shouted and paused to hear a weak cough answer her. Rin heard the locked doors being pried open and scrambled to grab her knife secured to her thigh. With her body curved at an awkward angle, she patiently waited, her breath suspended in her lungs. The second a head peered into the darkness, she struck, the point of her dagger dove straight for the jugular and like a viper, she sliced clean through his esophagus and he dropped facedown like a rock. There was an alarmed shout as hands hurriedly dragged the dead body away from the car and a voice echoed from outside,

"Come now kitten, there's no need to raise your hackles." It was an oily, serpentine hiss that came with the steaming point of a gun as another man took the dead man's place. Rin ducked behind one of Dom's men's slumped body and wiggled as best as she could so that his torso shielded the majority of her frame. The barrel lowered and along with it, a wiry body and a face she'd imprinted into her mind; the Pakhan's enemy, Vernon Luciano himself. Cold and paralyzing fear crept into her body and Rin braced herself for the worst.

"Hello there, kitten."

* * *

"Dom, they're here." Vincent had waited for well over half an hour till he gauged that Pakhan's rage had subsided to a safe degree before he risked a knock on his door. Silence greeted him for all of a minute and the door creaked open.

Instinct warned Vincent not to step into the beast's lair.

Something clear and transparent broke off from the door frame and Vincent bent to retrieve it.

An icicle. Twice the size of his hand.

Dom had released his entity.

There were very rare instances when the Pakhan had unleashed his rein onto his entity and allowed it to completely consume him. Only two emotions drove him to take such measurements: irrepressible anger, and crushing despair, and only on very specific circumstances did these primal sentiments force him to find release. Vincent had surmised that over the last few years, Dom's discipline over his entity had been on the precipice further supporting his suspicion that it had something to do with Rin's gradual growth and maturity.

He knew Dom saw the girl as something he had every right to keep. It wasn't love or even affection; the man wasn't capable of producing such feelings. Rather he viewed her more as a priceless possession that had captivated him and held his attention and in return, Dom was to be her entire circumference, her world. Her growth only served to make him irate, and her eagerness to break from that circle had spurred the possessiveness that was a hair trigger away from setting off his entity. Rin's absence and disobedience had finally worn away the Pakhan's tenuous hold over his emotions and as a result, his entity had prevailed.

The underboss exhaled and shoved his instinctive fear aside and stepped into the Pakhan's bedroom.

Ice and frost broke apart in large and uneven chunks and lay scattered across the floor. The fire had long since dissipated surrendering to the stone-cold ice that dripped red from Dom's fist. His tie and dress shirt had been ripped from his body and lay in tatters on the cracked wood. The Pakhan's naked back gleamed in sweat as he stood staring at the windowless walls. By the Pakhan's feet, lay the watch, shattered and crushed beyond recognition. The underboss knew his Pakhan well enough to reply to the unanswered question.

"She's not here yet." Vincent barely stopped himself from flinching as air shot by his ear and the feeling of a destructive fist shattered inches beside his head. The wall next to him let out a groaned in pain as it took the brunt of the blow. This wasn't Dom speaking. This was the entity bellowing and rampaging in the Pakhan's body as the large man rose to his feet and jagged pillars of ice shot from the ground, ripping through the wood and ramming into the furniture.

"_Notherenotherenothere! Gone! Gone! She'slatelatelate! No more! Findherfindher!" _it rapidly spat its thoughts out in a chaotic mess of words strung together and Dom furiously paced the room,

"Brent called to report that Rin is on the way back." The Pakhan's head swung his way, finally noticing his presence and Dom stalked toward him, bluish veins branched from both of his eyes, his teeth peeled back in an animalistic snarl and his fingers spread out in claws,

_"I want her! Nownownow! She's mine! Mine! Mineminemine! I'll kill her! Late! She's late! I want her now!" _Dom slashed his fingers into the wall wrecking the paint and carving deep grooves into the wooden panels.

"The Brotherhood have arrived. We need Dom if we want to ensure Rin's safety." In the blink of an eye, the entity was in his face, roaring at the top of its lungs,

_"Killherkillher! She disobeyed me! I'll rip her apart! She's mine! Minemineminemine!" _Dom's face contorted and he grabbed his head and bent over as a beastly cry tore from his open mouth. The muscles along his back tensed and twitched as the bones along his spine rippled in an unsettling motion. It was a full thirty seconds before the Pakhan slowly straightened, the immense effort it took to restrain his entity was displayed over his strained expression.

"They're here?" Dom panted as the frost faded from his eyes and the veins retreated into his skin. Vincent conceded the breath of respite back into his starved lungs,

"Yeah, they're waiting downstairs in your office." Dom visibly shuddered, the transitory mask of the entity's expression flitted over his face before he reached deep down beyond the realms of his power and dragged control back to him. With a heavy sigh that hinted of relief, the Pakhan crossed to the far side of the room and reached into his closet -still surprisingly intact- and threw a coat over his body.

"Let's not keep them waiting then. I can imagine how Malcom will react when he sees me in this state." A wry smile played over his lips and Vincent barked out a short laugh,

"He'll probably tell you that he's found a place to hide the bodies." Don gave a weary chuckle and began heading down the hall with Vincent closely behind him.

As the underboss drifted his gaze over Dom's back, he inwardly hoped that Rin had the strength to confront the beast that wore a very thin veneer of civility. He couldn't even begin to predict how long it would take before Dom lost his temper all over again. All he could do was wait and prepare for the calamity ahead.

* * *

The entity battered so violently against his shields that Dom nearly lost his hold over it.

_Outoutoutout! Let me out! Release me! _Again and again it screamed and raged and tore at his mind. This was the most furious he'd ever seen it. Normally, it would hiss and spit at whatever or whomever displeased it, but when the entity bound itself at a physical and emotional level to his L'venok, it took the definition of fury to another level.

_She's oursoursours! Ours to discipline! Ours to punish! Punishpunish! Need her back! Needherhere! Now! _Dom grimaced as the tsunami of the entity's thoughts rushed to him. It was never completely coherent. It voiced every word in its mind without any bearing of consequences and was open and blunt and as savage as they come. He took the length of their descent down the stairs to gather himself and secured the entity back where it belonged.

The Brotherhood were a small group consisting of the most powerful leaders in the Old World not to mention one of the only people Dom could trust with his life. Each had built their empire from the ground up and had dirtied their own hands to reach the highest point of power. In order to maintain this level of authority, the Brotherhood was born creating a close-knit family of sorts.

Malcom Volkov's brick red hair and lean frame was the first thing he saw when he pushed open the doors to his office.

"Bout time you got here!" he grumbled and moved from his seat to kiss his cheeks. He froze when he accessed the Pakhan's face and reached for his ever present glock,

"Do you need help finding a place to bury the bodies?" Dom couldn't resist a grin and Vincent chortled,

"The only thing you'll be burying are the wooden boards he destroyed." Vincent jerked a thumb upstairs, "his bedroom took the blow this time." At the edge of Dom's peripheral, his personal guard, Octovio muttered something into his com before stowing it away into his belt.

"Your man rang us over and it sounded urgent." Yuri Romano, the Bratva's ally physician and a dangerous and deadly Italian mafia leader himself, leaned back into his chair near the broken windows and ran a hand through his long hair pulled back into a tail, "how can we help?" Dom thumped into the plush cushion and scrubbed a rough hand down his face,

"Barin caught the Luciano sniffing around our territory again." From his perch on the couch, Nikolai Agron settled his massive body in what was a nonchalant position; his arms spread out over the back of the sofa and his ankle balanced over a knee. His dark, hazel orbs were anything but relaxed. Hearing the name Agron was enough to strike fear into any individual's heart. No one was fooled by his lax prowl. The man's size and the way he seem to dominate every space he stepped into was more than enough to point out who was the real predator in the room.

"What did he find?" he rumbled. Dom nodded to the Bratva's technician and the man withdrew the file he'd seen earlier and passed it to Nikolai. As the man thumbed through the file, his brows progressively lifted till he swore and tossed the entire manila to Yuri before leveling a fining glare at Dom, "And you didn't think to inform us? How long have you had the _sirota_? What is she to you?" Orphan? Was his friend implying that she hadn't been claimed? Dom involuntarily stiffened and the entity let out a vicious hiss,

"She's mine." His words melded with the entity in a loud snarl that sent a chilled blast of air through the broken windows. No one saved for Barin flinched. Any lesser man would have cowered and fled, instead Yuri raised an elegant brow as he continued to browse through the folder. Without even bothering to look at Dom, he waved his hand,

"There's no need to get defensive, you've made it perfectly clear her value." Dom lashed the chains more tightly over his entity and sought for restraint,

"I've invested too much time on her. She's too valuable to lose." The Italian/Asian boss finally glanced up from his perusal and snorted softly,

"Bullshit. She's much more than that." He passed the dossier to Malcom and the man briefly skimmed over the paper and guffawed,

"Well shit! She's the reason why your pants are twisted up? Is that why the windows in your study are busted up? How long has it been since I've seen you tied up in knots over someone? Let alone a jailbait!" His bottled-green orbs glittered in amusement as he continued to laugh. "If you're so worried about her safety, I don't mind locking her pretty ass up with me while you go and burn shit up." Dom slammed his fist into his desk jarring the contents on the surface,

"Don't f*ck around with me Volkov, my entity is already testy as it is." The words barely got past the proprietary growl he emitted. If his L'venok was anywhere but by his side, he was certain heads would roll. Malcom snickered and relaxed back into his position

"So the Luciano are after her?" Dom silently thanked Nikolai for bringing them back to the matter at hand and nodded,

"Someone from the inside, leaked the information to them. Barin discovered one of their snail transmissions and tracked the trail into their territory." Nikolai grumbled and toyed with the emblem crested band on his forefinger, his expression disapproving,

"The leak must have come from the borders of your territory. There's no way any one can get past your security from the inside." Barin nodded,

"I'm in charge of the men working there. The ones that are placed near the outer edge are usually in the lower ranks, they're no more than grunions." The technician continued, "I ran an intensive scan over every single man working there and found nothing." Malcom snapped his finger,

"It wouldn't be difficult to find someone who has a grudge against you would it?" Dom shook his head,

"I have many enemies. That makes it difficult to keep track of all of them, even the ones I'm not yet aware of." The Pakhan Dom spread his palms outward, "everyone knows this island is the most ideal place for controlling our borders. Everything comes and goes through me: trade, communications, weapons, people, it's not difficult to figure out why they want this land so badly."

"And you're planning to hand it all to her? The girl you've adopted?" Disbelief coated Malcom's voice and Dom turned his head to him,

"That was the idea." Yuri shifted in his seat, a flicker of unease crossed his otherwise empathetic expression,

"What made you come to this decision?" Dom let the words drift over his head as he leaned his temple against his propped hand,

"To tell you the truth, it's been getting more and more difficult to control it." The weariness in his tone was apparent and Nikolai sat up straighter, the fleeting flash of sympathy alighted in his copper colored eyes before it disappeared,

"Is it getting worse?" Yuri's brow wrinkled,

"When was the last time you went into Sleep?" Before Dom could answer, Vincent cut in,

"Three years ago," Dom glared at his underboss and Vincent shrugged, "he hasn't really slept ever since he adopted her." The physician's gaze sharpened and his voice hardened,

"You know how important it is for you to go into Sleep. It re-stables the balance between you and your entity. Lack of sleep disrupts the balance and makes it more difficult to keep your hold over the entity." Dom closed his eyes as Yuri continued,

"The world might not aware of this, but we are. You're not human Dom," Yuri bent forward and clasped his hands together, "but you're not immortal either. We all know the methods I'm using won't keep it in chains forever. It is only a matter of time before it takes over you completely." Nikolai grunted,

"You may look like you're in your forties, but we know you've been living on this damn planet for over four f*cking hundred years. I'd hate to see you go just because the girl is causing you grief." Silence fell over the man's words before Dom locked his cerulean eyes with each and every one of the Brotherhood,

"I have chosen her to take my place. If it means that I have to throw away my Sleep to ensure her success, I am prepared to meet the consequences." Those pale blue orbs soften, "I've walked this earth for far too long. My control is slipping more than ever. I can feel time wearing my power away." He regarded everyone in the room, "I have already set up countermeasures when I cannot hold on any long. I hope that you all would honor my will to guide her when my time is up." Malcom's expression fell somber.

"You know we'll do it without you asking, brother." Fierce emotions assailed his senses and the Pakhan lowered his head for a moment,

"Thank you." A measure of peace stole over his body as he returned his attention to the situation,

"As for the Luciano, I believe that I made a mistake." Yuri smirked and folded his arms,

"Something I've told you over and over." Dom ignored him,

"I've been too generous with them. I've allowed them to f*ck around so long as they stayed in their holes and didn't piss me off." His voice hardened as the entity curled itself around his shoulders, "no more. There's only so many buttons they can push. If they want a war, then that's what I'll give them." The office door abruptly slammed open and Brent staggered in, his once neatly pressed linen torn and littered with scorch marks and his dark pants were ripped and sliced in gaping wounds. Blood darkened his uniformed hair, mussed and windblown and thoroughly soaked to the bone.

"Brent!" Dom leaped to his feet and Octavio reached out and caught the chauffeur before he crumbled to his knees, "What happened?" Brent let out a hacking cough as he gripped Octavio's arm.

"_Mudila! _He's bleeding from his back!" The Pacan swore as he pressed a hand over the chauffeur's back, "we need to get him to the hospital!" Yuri was already there, his bag in his hand as he knelt over Brent.

"Brent! Where the f*ck is Rin!" Dom demanded. His control was shot to hell, nothing mattered at the moment. The fact that his driver had been shot barely registered to him through the overwhelming feeling of despair that clawed at him. Fear and anxiety wafted in trembling waves as the driver lifted his shaking head to look up at his Pakhan,

"M-miss Rin…t-they've taken her…the Luciano's…they ambushed the car and kidnapped her." A shuddering breath like the sound of bones rattling shook through the driver's body, "The mole…he's at the bar…Rin said Raphael…Raphael is…" The air left Brent's lungs and he slumped into Octavio's arms.

Like twigs, his hold over his entity snapped. Barin staggered back, his eyes wide in astonishment,

"My…my son?" He gasped as Malcom and Nikolai shot up the second Dom's aura transformed into a wave of black ice,

"Dom." Nikolai said warningly but the Pakhan was no longer listening to reason. Every single taunt muscle trembled as power rushed in a blaze of ice and uncontainable rage into his body and Dom bared his teeth and threw his head back and roared as the entity consumed his entire soul.

It zeroed onto the enforcer, unfathomable rage coating every inch of its words,

"_Him! Him!_ _Bring me the traitor! I'll rip him apart and skewer him alive! Givehimtome! I'llkillhim!" _Octovio spun on his heels and darted out of the room as the weight of the situation closed upon it.

It felt Dom shove for some semblance of control and ignored the pressure; he had lost complete control over it. Everything, from the Pakhan's physical body, to the bona fide essence of his being was slowly devoured by the entity.

Much like the broken watch lying on his bedroom floor, Dom's time was up.

* * *

Rin blinked away the blurry film in her eyes and found nothing but darkness gazing back at her. Someone had placed a bag over her head stripping her one of her senses. She began to move her arms when she realized that her wrists had been secured with metal handcuffs and had fastened her legs to the chair. Rin did a quick inventory of her body. They'd taken her glock and her knives including the sharp hairpins she used to keep her hair up. However, they overlooked the dagger hidden under her heels and the multipurpose ring she kept on her finger. The only feeling of loss she felt was the stark absence of the watch around her forearm. Boots scuffing over what sounded like cement or rough pavement alerted her ears of her captor's presence and she immediately adopted an untrained victim's reaction; cue the struggling, the squirming movements and the frantic swerving of her head.

"W-where am I?" her voice shook as she tugged at her binds, "p-please let me g-go." Someone behind her laughed harshly,

"The little princess is afraid now? She wasn't so scared when she took out one of our men in the car." Her stringent training warned her not to reveal herself as she continued to scuffle her wrists. They had tied her hands to the back of the chair and her calves to the steel studded legs. The binds on her wrists and arms weren't too difficult to get rid of, after all, she'd been taught to escape from nearly anything that bounded her. As her fingers scrupulously sought the weak links in the cuffs, Rin continued her façade,

"W-who are you? W-why d- you w-want me?" She counted four more pairs of footsteps that entered the room and stopped a foot away from her. The smell of aftershave and cologne hit her, smooth and heady and as deceiving as the voice that purred at her in greeting,

"Hello, L'venok." The name was potent enough to throw her completely off kilter. No one called her that. It was an unspoken rule in the Bratva household that the only person who could use her pet name was Dom. To hear it from anyone but the Pakhan's lips, her keen ears immediately picked up the contrast and she couldn't stop her lip from curling in distaste. It sounded completely unnatural and just…wrong. Her mind kept her from voicing her opinion and she smartly kept her thoughts to herself when she felt fingers lightly touch her chin.

"The _figlio di puttana_ managed to get himself a pretty, pretty pet." The finger tilted her head back and trailed down her throat to linger over her collarbone, "I'd bet she'd wager millions in the black market, especially if word got out of her value." They were planning to sell her? Did they have a death wish? Rin squirmed in her seat, "Rome, are you sure the intel is correct and we didn't kidnap one of his whores? I'd hate to mark up such a beautiful thing." The girl compulsorily stiffened as a wave of unease swept over her; was that where Dom spent his nights when she was asleep? She hurriedly stuffed the sentiment but the tap on her collarbone let her know that Vernon had felt her reaction.

"There's no mistake Don, the _talpa _had very persuasive evidence that she was the one the Pakhan keeps by his bedside." _Talpa, _the mole. Once she escaped, she was going hunt down Jose and his son and rip their heads off from their shoulders. Rin went dead still when the finger on her collarbone traveled down till it traced over the outer curve of her breast. The heat from Vernon's touch burned into her skin and it took every self-control she had not to lash out and take out his kneecaps out with the dagger built into her heels.

"He keeps her by his bedside eh? Does that mean she's no longer a virgin?" An entire hand engulfed her breast and squeezed. Rin's initial instinct was to shut off all feeling and emotion from her being as her training had taught her but that would spoil her role as the victim. Hence, through clenched teeth, she allowed the action to elicit an emotion and jumped and let out a soft cry of alarm. Vernon chuckled and massaged her flesh as Rin gritted her teeth together. She felt nothing but disgust and righteous anger toward her captors. The tip of her searching index finger discovered a slight gap in the chains and she began to wriggle the point of her ring into the crevice. Once she secured it, Rin began to pick and push at the lock.

"What do you w-want from me?" she had to keep the man talking, all the while Vernon's hand continued to caress her breast. When he moved to examine the other, Rin had to bite down onto her tongue to prevent herself from biting him.

"What do I need from you?" Vernon pinched her skin and she flinched, "you're my bargaining chip L'venok." His fingers trailed up over to the thick strap of her dress and with a quick pull, he yanked it down off her shoulder, "you see, when you're Pakhan destroyed one of our major cash crops 3 years ago, he managed to piss off a lot more people than just the Luciano." Rin jerked when the man bent and planted a long and wet kiss on her neck, "we've been waiting for a time for revenge." Something wet – his tongue? - licked along the column of her neck, "and the perfect moment has landed into our hands. Who could've known that Dom had finally found a successor?" Vernon's next words made her blood go cold,

"We were so careful too. We slaughtered every woman that he kept longer than a year. We had to make sure that the bastard would never live to have an heir." His laughter was unpleasant, "little did we know that the _stronzo _found another way to get past our eyes." Rin tensed as when the man's hands slid past her ribs and stroked her thighs, "he'll come for you, I know he will, the _miserabili pezzo di merda_ likes to keep his playthings to himself, and what better way to destroy him than from the inside out?" Just as the metal clasp fell from her finger freeing her wrists, something sharp pricked her neck.

"You-" Rin opened her mouth in time to feel the first every single one of her limbs lose their strength and her body slumped over. The abrupt movement tore the opened handcuffs from her hands and Rin's upper torso collapsed like a ragdoll over her knees. The bag was yanked from her head and she blinked under the harsh light to meet Vernon's coffee orbs flashing in sadistic glee,

"Let me tell you something about Dom, L'venok. He likes pretty, shiny toys like you." A finger tilted her head back till she leaned against the back of the chair and Vernon brought his face up close to her, "but what happens if we dirty you? Break you to pieces?" The answer was glaringly obvious, "would he still want you as his heir?" Vernon licked his lips and reached for her dress, "why don't we find out?"

The stars flickered.

* * *

The pounding in his head had increased in tandem and Raphael let out a groan of pain. It was too difficult to open his eyes and he didn't even want to try. Did he really drink that much? His hand went to rub his temple only to snatch back with a startled hiss when his palm came away with blood smeared all the way down to his wrist,

"What the f*ck?" Raphael went to put pressure onto his feet when a spike of agony ripped through his body and the world tilted around him. He screamed and slumped heavily against the stone wall as his legs gave out, sending him toppling back to the ground.

His leg was broken.

The pungent smell of smoke pricked at his senses and Raphael clenched his teeth as he gathered himself onto his hands and tender knees and crawled into the tavern. The butt of what was a silencer caught his eye and he reached over and grabbed it between his teeth; at least they didn't break his arms, he could still take down a few of the bastards if they were still lingering around. Raphael's eyes strained against the heat as he painstakingly passed through the door only to feel his heart plummet to the bottom of his feet at the sight.

Bodies. Bodies of his friends. They splayed out in broken and anatomically gruesome angles on the ground. Their blood gleamed a brilliant sheen against the rising flames that licked hungrily at the tavern's walls and tables. Bile shot up into his throat and Raphael dropped the weapon and retched as his bruised body finally gave away and he crumbled to the ground.

_"And I'm going to drown your precious Pakhan and your dad's name in their f*cking blood." _The avalanche of memories crashed into his bewildered mind, flooding him with a desperation and fear that nearly consumed him.

"No." He croaked, his arms and legs shook violently as Raphael hefted himself on hands and knees and dragged himself past the body of one of his friends. Her blonde hair was caked in blood and her dress in tatters. Raphael turned his face away from the scene; he didn't need to look further to know what he'd see on her face.

Everything. They destroyed everything.

Why didn't they kill him too while they were at it?

"How do you like the makeover? Nice eh?" light fell over the open door and Leonardo stepped into the burning building, the high-seated smirk still on his face and Raphael wanted to smash it off him.

"You killed them. Our friends, you murdered them!" He gasped and coughed at the smoke in his lungs, his breathing labored as Raphael used the counters to shove his body onto his good leg. Leonardo shrugged,

"Well, I didn't pull the trigger." He pointed to the gun in Raphael's grip, his smile cold, "you did."

"No!" Raphael trembled as he pointed the gun at the blonde, "you brought the mother*cking Lucianos here! You killed them! You're the traitor!" Leonardo chuckled and shook his head slowly as if he was chastening a child,

"No Raphael," he stepped closer till the end of the gun touched his head and whispered, "You are the traitor. You are the murderer." With an infuriated roar, Raphael lunged, tackling his friend to the wooden floor, his hand locked over Leonardo's throat, heedless of the burning pain that lanced up his broken leg,

"Why did you do it?!" his fist plunged straight into Leo's face, drawing back and pistoning forward till his fist was slick with blood. The smile never left the blonde's expression as Raphael continued to pummel him, smashing into the soft cartilage and blackening his eyes. The skin on his knuckles reddened and tore at the flesh as blood continued to spurt out of Leonardo's mouth and nose till it soaked into his hair and dripped down his chin in rivets. A haze of red clouded his thoughts as he blindly reached out to grab the gun in his stained hands and shakenly leveled the muzzle onto Leonardo's chest,

"Rot in hell you f*cking bastard." He hissed and the blonde smiled and coughed weakly,

"Oh I don't think I will." Raphael fired. The bullet sinking straight into Leonardo's heart and the man let out an eerie scream, his body gave a violent jerk as a large gush of blood spurted from his chest. Chills filed down Raphael's spine as the feeling of cold steel pressed against his temple had everything thing south of his head freezing from the neck down. His heart kicked up a frantic tandem as panic seized his body and his body stiffened.

"Raphael Barin Junior." Octovio's baritone growl forced him to turn his head as he stared into the barrel of the Pacan's Sig Saucer. The bodyguard's russet orbs were alight in flames as he cast his eyes around the scorching tavern before glaring down at him, "What the f*ck have you done?"

Everything fell into place the second he looked down at Leonardo's crimson sullied smile and he knew, he knew why they hadn't slit his throat.

"You bastard." He whispered and the traitor heaved a gurgled laugh,

"Murderer." Leonardo's choked warble was the last thing he heard before his head thudded against the floor. His friend's body gave a final twitch and he went silent and Raphael was left with the enforcer's accusatory gaze. He lifted his head to look at the Pacan, his mouth opened in a plea,

"I didn't-" a swift blow to his abdomen along with an elbow to the base of his head sent him spiraling straight into oblivion.

* * *

Hunger was the first thing that dragged her conscious back to the waking world. Her rumbling stomach the primary reason why her eyes cracked open. Her lids were crusty, the skin along her lashes and cheeks dry and rough, as if she'd been constantly rubbing them.

None of that could be compared to the palpitating throbbing she felt all over her entire body. The pain splintered and centered over her neck, shoulders, wrist, hips and branched down to her thighs and calves.

The apex of her thighs and the skin along her lower belly hurt the most. The room was too dark for her to access her surroundings and her eyes had yet to properly adjust. Rin tentatively reached down to pressed the tips of her fingers against her pelvic and stifled a small whimper of pain as her body responded.

What happened to her?

The door to the far right slid open and her head jerked up as the light streaming from the opened door momentarily blinded her.

"You're awake." Rin lifted her chin, her eyes automatically searching for the face she longed to see the most only to instinctively fall silent.

This wasn't Dom.

The footsteps drew closer and she rapidly blinked her eyes, her vision only catching the dark fabric of what were unmistakably the Pakhan's leather shoes. Rin's throat clenched and she swallowed a dry throat,

"Dom?" Which one was it? Was it the tender protector that stroked her hair till she drifted off into her dreams? Or was it the hard shadow that proprietarily gripped her arms and pulled her possessively into his body before she left?

Silence greeted her for a moment.

"Yes Rin?" Bile covered her lungs and Rin gripped the sheets covering her body; the shadow had answered.

"H-How long was I out?" her throat had dissolved into parched sandpaper and she couldn't ignore the prominent throbbing in her body any longer.

"Three days." Her stomach growled in emphasis to his words and Rin ducked her head,

"I'm sorry." She ignored the hunger pains and concentrated on the figure partially hidden by the darkness; nothing was more important than appeasing the very thing the frightened her and fascinated her the most.

"Ah…" Dom paused, the dead air behind his words so heavy it blanketed the entire room, "about that. Yes, yes, we can't forget about _that_. But first," he bent to the side of the bed, the rattling of plates on a metal tray alerted her ears as Dom's weight pressed down onto the mattress and something cool touched Rin's lips,

"Drink." Rin gulped the liquid down in large swallows. When her less of a dry throat had her reaching for more, he pulled the cup away from her and placed the container on the bedside cabinet only to return with something soft and smelling distinctly of bread, meat and some sort of cheese. Her hands reached up for the bread only to jerk back with a painful yelp when Dom's hand slapped her wrists back down. "Do _not _touch!" Hunger gnawed at her insides and Rin forced herself to wait; gratification wasn't something new, it was inborn into her being. She'd gone weeks with barely anything but scraps to keep her stomach from eating her own body to death.

So she patiently waited, held out for a good minute until Dom was satisfied with her patience to feed her the baked loaf.

"Good girl." The praise was barely out when her appetite got the best of her and she clamped down onto the piece between his fingers and tore the bread apart with her teeth. Before her mouth could close down onto the bread, Dom's hand came down upon her slapping her across the face, hard. The bread and the contents in it flew out of her mouth and Rin's head snapped to the side as her body toppled from the force of the blow. Her shoulders jerked to a halt when something cold and stiff choked the air from her lungs, abruptly stopping her torso from falling over. Fingers seized her chin and she found herself yanked back to face a pair of piercing, cerulean orbs bathe in cracked ice,

"I did not allow you to eat!" Rin froze breathing hard, her mind scrabbling to comprehend what had occurred.

He had hit her.

He had never laid a hand upon her. Not in anger. Never in anger.

Rin's shaking hands reached up to find what had halted her from falling and she encountered a ring of metal wrapped around her throat. Her fingers searched for the end of the ring only to find the sound of chains clinking against her fingers and her shaking worsened.

He chained her. Like an animal, he collared her.

She barely had the time to process the revelation when Dom shoved the bitten bread brusquely to her mouth, this time, she kept her mouth shut, every nerve in her body quivering in vigilance. Waiting.

"Open." Her mouth parted open and an inch of the loaf slid past her teeth. Again, Rin quelled the innate impulse to bite down. Her cheek pulsated as a protuberant reminder. Rin caught the gleam of satisfaction in the cruel tilt of Dom's mouth; she was getting it.

"Eat." Her molars grounded the piece into bits and her body welcomed the food with a groan of relief. So, Rin ate, in small, measured bites only taking as much as he allowed her to. She had a bit more left when Dom pulled it away and placed the tray back onto the cabinet. "Now, we can discuss what you've done." Rin uneasily swallowed and twisted the sheet between her fingers,

"S-something came up during the party." Dom hummed in agreement and he reached up to stroke her cheek where she knew he left a mark. Her hearted thumped against her chest and Rin licked her lips, "There is a mole in the family. He-he was in the tavern." Rin looked upon him beseechingly, "have you captured him?" The Pakhan smiled at her and trace the line of her throat with his finger,

"We did." Rin let out a small sigh of relief, "along with his…accomplice." She whipped her head to face him, her brows furrowed,

"A-accomplice?" Again, he offered her another infuriating hum as Dom hooked two fingers into the metal collar and tugged her closer to him,

"Octovio found the mole pointing a gun at his friend's head while the rest of his companions lay dead around him." Rin couldn't stop her mouth from falling open; Leonardo killed his friends? Even Raphael? She wet her suddenly dry mouth and fought the emotion lodged in her throat threatening to completely overwhelm her,

"Raphael. Is…is Raphael alright?" She let out a sharp gasp when Dom gave a vicious yank and mashed her face so close to his she could see every strained tendon in his furious expression.

"Fancy the f*cker now don't you Rin?" The tumultuous fury churned her insides and Rin frantically shook her head, wincing as her aching body shrieked in pain,

"I-I don't understand, Leonardo killed everyone? How?" A sneer broke through Dom's twisted face as he brought her nose to nose with him,

"Oh don't play the petty fool Rin. It doesn't suit you. I'm sure you've got the scheme all planned out already don't you? You and the Raphael must have plotted it all out." Questions whirled around her head and before Rin could formulate a response, Dom threw her back down onto the bed in disgust. She slammed into the headboard and collapsed onto the mattress with a loud cry as he began to pace,

"I knew my instinct was wrong the second I saw you with him. I should have killed him the second I saw his face. I should've locked you up in your f*cking room until you understood. _You belong to me. Mineminemine! Noone can have you, noone noone noone!" _He spun around and grabbed her by the shoulders crushing her down into the bed, the vice grip on her tender skin wrung out a painful shout from her as Rin squeezed her eyes shut, her body coming alive in throttling fear.

_"Looking what you've f*cking become! A no good, scheming little fox that bites the hand that feeds her! You miserable little wretch! Wretchedspitefulrottenevil b*tch!" _Dom opened his mouth a clamped down over her the crook of her neck, biting down, breaking the skin with his teeth. Rin let out a hoarse screech as her hands scrabbled against the Pakhan's chest, shoving against his powerful chest,

"No! Please! No!" She sobbed, her body was weak, her strength quickly being sapped from her. Rin shuddered when Dom weaved a hand through her hair and wrenched it down with a fist, tearing her head up at a neck-aching angle, their mouths centimeters apart, a mere breath from each other,

_"They took you from me. They took you. Overandoverandoverandover. They took you from my arms. __And then they gave you back to me. They left you like this and left you on my doorstep__ " _His words had dropped to nothing but a rapidly, hushed whisper. The words flew from his mouth so fast she barely caught them. And when she did…the realization punched her full in the face and her entire stomach sank like a stone.

_"They took you because you disobeyed me. Overandoverandover they took you. Because you went against me. Because you didn't listen to me." _This time, Rin didn't even try to halt the tears that spilled over her face as the ache between her thighs increased ten-fold, the telling sign of what had happened. Dom watched her, his face an impassive mask of nothing but tense lines and flat, empty eyes void of emotion.

There were no more stars in his eyes.

There were no more stars in hers either.

And so…she drifted away into nothingness.

* * *

Raw pain was the next thing that she woke to. The skin on her stomach itched and burned as if someone had poured acid all over her stomach. The feeling of loss was a savage bite into her soul and Rin groggily lifted her heavy eyes to see a lonely lightbulb staring down at her.

The door blew open and Rin turned her head in time to see Dom stride in, his shoulders brimming with tension,

"It seems that your partner in crime has escaped. Lucky for him, unfortunate for you." The bite on her shoulder throbbed and Rin stayed silent as he approached her. His shirt was untucked, his collar mussed and his sleeves messily rolled up to his elbows. The Pakhan stopped at the foot of the bed and tilted his head toward her,

"You're nothing to me. _Nothingnothingnothing. Gone. I want you gone. Gonegonegonegonegone." _It was as soft chant that was meant to hurt. And hurt it did, striking her so deep it took everything in Rin not to curl up and weep. Dom pivoted on his heels to sit down into a chair settled near the door. He regarded her carefully,

"I have a gift for you." His smile was anything but pleasant, "would you like to have it?" it wasn't a choice. Rin slowly nodded, her eyes tracking every movement like a hawk; what had he done now?

"I tattooed it onto your stomach. It's a little messy and I made some mistakes but I think it'll suit you." Dom…no…the entity cloaked in his body leaned back into his chair and watched her with frigidly taciturn eyes, as she hurriedly whipped off the crimson spotted blanket covering her stomach.

The orphan looked down at the words branded and engraved into her skin and felt every single crevice in the fragile organ she called a heart cease to beat as all the air in her lungs left her throat.

She opened her mouth and screamed, a long, staggered, shrill moan that echoed in her prison chamber.

It was ugly. It was terrifying. It told the world the story of what she lost.

It was her.

* * *

An explosion rocked her back into the world. A scream was the next thing that flew from her mouth only for her to double over gagging as her abdomen spread fire up her belly. How long did she sleep? A strong jolt shook her from her haze and she found herself carried unsteadily up a set of stairs and outside,

"Pakhan! They're bombing the place! We need to leave now! The entire mansion is collapse!" Vincent's urgent tone spoke volumes of the severity of the situation,

"_Kill them! I want them all dead!" _Dom thundered_. _The building shook as Dom flew out of the foundation and into the stone courtyard. He dropped her unceremoniously onto the ground and spun around, the white fabric of his shirt was soaked in blood. His claws were out, pillars of ice shot up from the ground and the screams of the victims filled the air as Dom roared.

_"Come closer and dieee!" _Rin scrambled onto her knees, her heart in her mouth as flashes of light and hot air choked her lungs and obscured her eyes.

"Give it up Ivankov! There's nothing else you can do! You've sent the Brotherhood on a wild goose chase after nothing and you're on your last legs! There's nothing left for you now!" Vernon Luciano's laugh overrode Dom's bellow as he stepped closer, the ring around them tightened, a ring of fire and machinery. Eight large men stepped into the ring, swords of magic and steel strapped to their sides. Vernon's face was a combination of glee and sadistic mockery,

"The guns are for precaution. I've honed these men to deal with that thing you have in your body." He stepped back and chortled, "the moment the swords touch you, you'll be dead within a second." The building behind him violently shook as another blast from the explosion reached them.

The flesh on the nape of Dom's neck rippled and like loose skin on a cobra, the flesh split and ripped as a ribbed, skeletal musculature torso dipped in pitch black ink rose from the folded mess of skin. Rin let out a piercing scream and Vernon's men made a wide berth for the entity that emerged from within. His spine protruded even more prominently from his back, a gaping lower jaw jutted out capped with fangs the length of her elbows and socket-less orbs that glowed an eerie pool of tainted sapphire.

With an ear-splitting screech, it lunged that them, going straight for the ones with the machinery. It destroyed everything in its sight, tearing straight into flesh and bone and slicing the steel metal of their guns into pieces. It wrecked a havoc of destruction, disemboweling heads and clawing out their insides and pulling out their innards till they were turned inside out. Rin pressed her body flat against the ground, to petrified to move even as clots of blood spattered her face and her body. She watched as the creature closed upon Vernon with a speed no one could hope to defend against,

**"ALL OF YOU! KILL THE F*CKING GIRL!" **Vernon screamed just as the serrated edges of the entity's claws closed upon his throat.

The back of Rin's neck prickled and she was more than aware of the soldiers with the swords still drawn scattered around the courtyard. She automatically reached to her thigh for her own weapons and halted; he left her completely defenseless. Time slowed to a grinding stop and she felt the eyes of the very eight men that condemned her death turn their eyes upon her.

She was going to die. No amount of struggling would change that course.

Two forces surrounded her, the eight that were still left alive and charging toward her with their swords raised, and the streaking black fury that reached for her with outstretched hands.

Dom fell over her, shielding her body with his just as the swords plunged straight into his back, each blade stabbed through his body, cutting past him and carving down till the tips sliced her own open skin.

She didn't even flinch at the pain, her eyes fixated onto the creature's face as it let out a wordless shudder as the skin around it pulled together. The flesh meshed and melted around its face and upper torso until it formed a distinct resemblance of the powerful man that took her into his care six years ago.

The corners of lips caked in dirt and blood tilted up,

"Not a pretty sight aren't I L'venok." All the breath in her lungs blew out of her in a soundless gasp and Rin found herself staring up into a set of familiar teal orbs that reminded her of a cracked mirror, holding the weight world behind his eyes.

"L'venok, answer me." The words fell past the thick stream of blood that continued to spill from his lips and Rin shook her head.

"You remind me of the moon." A smile graces his crimson lips and Dom lifted a shaking hand and to pick up a lock of her hair and gave it a little tug,

"You never finished the story, when the moon fell off the night sky to look for his stars, did it find them?" His large body shook as he held himself above her, the shallow breaths he took was more than enough to tell her that vibrant life in his soul was quickly fading out. As her heart shattered into fragments and Rin carefully drew herself to her elbows to meet him,

"No, he failed." Cerulean eyes the color of stain glass bore into her soul as Dom's smile turned heart-wrenchingly tender and he pressed forehead against her,

"But I've found you didn't I?" he whispered softly. A wretched sob tore past her throat and Rin covered her mouth and nodded. Outside of their bubble, the courtyard burst to life when four large men emerged from the fire building and attacked; the Brotherhood. They made it, everything was going to be -

"I…I have one more question." Dom lowered his head till his mouth brushed hers drawing her back to him, "do you still have those stars?" Silent tears poured down her cheeks and Rin lowered her head,

"I do." Dom gazed at her for a moment before something akin to a sigh of relief washed over his torn face,

"Thank you. L'venok." His face softened and the Pakhan lifted his head away from her as his body suddenly dry heaved, the skin on his face began to crack and peel. Rin watched as the life faded from his pale eyes as the sound of rocks groaning filled her ears. She laid in mute shock as the Pakhan's skin hardened and blackened to stone, the texture crept over his entire body, encasing his neck, his cheeks and finally sinking back into his sockets.

The barest of sighs left Dom Ivankov's lips…and he was no more.

As the battle raged on around her, Rin stared at the stone statue hovering above her, his final question the only thing that tormented her mind.

_"Do you still have those stars?"_

_"I do."_

It was a lie.

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**And we're done! Finally! I'm exhausted and honestly very, very relieved that this background is finished. **

**We'll get right back to the action after this! Thank you for reading! See you soon!**


	41. Chapter 41 Regret

**Regret**

**And we're back in action! Thank you for waiting!**

**Guest: I'm sorry that you were disappointed at the lack of ZoNa content, but I did want to flesh out characters (even if they weren't in the canon), but this is and will always be a ZoNa focus story albeit with a very slow and torturous progression. **

**Juli6014417 : I hope it was worth it for you! Yes the previous chapter didn't have any ZoNa content but don't worry! I aim to please you and myself in the same sentence ;)**

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_"__Chopper! Luffy! Stop messing around! Hurry up and wash the deck already!" Nami shook her head as she watched her captain sprint off the stairs with a spotted washcloth hanging perilously from his head and the cook hot on his heels,_

_"__Get back here you little shit!" Sanji roared as he swung his lobby mop down onto the strawhat's head, "You think you can just dump a bucket of water on me and get away with it?!" Luffy cackled and yelped just as a gush of water from Franky's large hose splashed onto him, wetting the majority the crew and he stumbled over Usopp's pail,_

_"__Hey! You kicked over my bucket!" Usopp whined and he yanked his goggles up and cupped his hands, "Oi! Luffy! You better run faster! Sanji's getting close-!" There was a loud smack followed by a resounding screech as the back of the cook's mop smashed into the side of Luffy's head and the captain went tumbling to the side of the ship,_

_"__Gotcha!" Sanji crowed as he stabbed his mop at his captain, "now get off your ass and help me wash the floor before Nami-chan kicks our ass," there was no missing the debased grin threatening to take over his expression at the notion and Sanji turned his head toward the navigator, "Naaaammiii-"_

_"__You can't even do a simple chore without having someone to baby you eh cook?" Nami sighed, wiping water out of her eyes as Zoro's gruff and exasperated voice did what it did every single day; wiggle under the cook's skin like an irritating itch. The second the chef's face deepened to a prune hue, she knew it was time to step in._

_A sharp bark from her had the cook scurrying back up the deck dragging Luffy by the back of his pants, annoyed, Nami turned around to face the swordsman,_

_"__Why do you always have to needle him?" Zoro looked up at her, unapologetic and shrugged, _

_"__It gets the job done right?" Nami snorted and reached up to secure the turquoise blanket onto the clothespin, _

_"__It could've been done without having you two at each other's throat." Zoro worked on scrubbing the shirt he was currently laundering onto the washboard, _

_"__But where's the fun in that?" he grinned up at her and flicked flecks of soap in her direction, "he's so easy to rile up." Nami laughed and shook her head as she straightened out the other clothes and grabbed a damp blouse, _

_"__You're not that hard to poke at either." Zoro grunted and shot her a look, frowning,_

_"__That's because I'm not," The beginnings of a tick started over the first mate's injured eye as he regarded the navigator with a look of disbelief. The corners of Nami's mouth tugged upward as she shook out the chemise,_

_"__You are. How much do you want to bet? I could be hanging clothes and you'll be on your feet in a second." Her reply was met with a dubious scoff and Zoro stopped scouring to give her his complete attention, the smile he offered her was almost feral,_

_"__Do it then. Piss me off." He tossed the washcloth over his shoulder and cocked his head at her, waiting, his composure, the epitome of refined granite. Nami chuckled and clipped the sides of the blouse to the wire,_

_"__That wasn't what I was trying to do." A beat of silence filled by the bickering up the deck pulsed between them and Zoro's mouth turn in confusion when she resumed pinning the clothes to the hanger. When the navigator offered nothing more to him than her back, he returned to his task, squashing the slightest feeling of disappointment that slipped past him._

_The swordsman grabbed the washcloth from his shoulder and tightened his grip on the washboard, ready to finish soaping up the next dirt-scuffed-_

_Only to choke on his saliva the second his eyes met the pert bottom of the navigator's ass as she bent down to reach for a skirt in the basket. She swiveled with a raised brow and he frantically avoided her eyes, his shoulders hunched. Nami hummed and continued to search for whatever she was looking for in the basket and the swordsman couldn't stop himself from dragging his eye up the slim, toned column of her bare legs and over the generous curve of her hips where her creamy thighs met the apex of her-_

_Zoro came up spitting soap out of his mouth as his body pitched over and he found himself with a mouthful of water and detergent. His ears weren't clogged enough to hear the teasing hum the navigator sent his way,_

_"__You okay over there?" the playful lilt had him cursing as Zoro right himself and reached for the washboard only to realize that he'd gripped the damn thing so hard that he snapped the wooden board in half when she bent over. He'd been so fixated onto the memories of the nights he'd spent devouring her it didn't occur to him that she'd walk out in public without wearing any-_

_"__Oh f*ck me, you're not wearing anything underneath!" he hissed and Nami hummed again, ignoring him. Zoro growled and squashed the sweater he gripped in his hands into a ball, "Nami look at me." Once again, she presented him her back and the swordsman scowled at her. _

_"__Tease," he mumbled as she faced him and stood on her toes to clip the skirt onto a higher spot when he realized that the movement would already pull her dangerously indecent dress up past her ass cheeks and give the crew an eyeful of what was for him to admire, "Stop it!" He leaped to his feet and yanked her arms down. The smile of triumph on her face was more than enough to tell him that he lost. The navigator stepped closer and brushed her mouth over his cheek, nipping his ear,_

_"__Shower. Tonight. Don't be late." She neatly pivoted and headed for her room, unaware that all the blood had rushed up to his face. Zoro fisted his hand and felt soft fabric twist around his fingers, he unclenched his grip and looked down. She'd slipped him something._

_Her f*cking panties. _

"Now you know my story, can you say yours was any better?" Reality ripped the memory from her and spun her back to the present in time to see Rin stepped toward her. Nami tightened her grip on her Clima Tact and pointed the end of the staff at her,

"He's stupid and reckless! He always gets into fights with his friends!" She shouted, her words so loud and sudden it had the Monarch freezing in her spot, "he's lazy and he sleeps so much that not even a storm can wake him up! He's clumsy and he always gets lost!" The navigator's voice wavered and she sucked in a breath as the Monarch began to laugh,

"And mine was an abusive and lying f*ck!" Rin held out her hand, "we're better off without them! The world has taught us to love no one but ourselves! Come with me! You understand my sorrow! We'll rule this island together! You and I! We'll conquer the world and claim their riches for ourselves!" Nami raised her arms and lifted her chin up to her,

"But I know I can count on him to help me get through this no matter what. I wasn't the only one in pain when I got hurt!" Rin's mouth twisted into a disgusted grimace as she drew out a twin set of curved blades from behind her and advanced. She was not going down without a fight, the words to trigger her Clima Tact on her lips, Nami tensed her body and braced herself.

Rin sneered, "You think you'll be able to go back to the way it has always been after you recovered, right? Is that what your pitiful mind is thinking?" The navigator stumbled back as she took another step closer, "I suggest if you want to keep your sanity and your heart intact, let the man go child. We're too broken to be put back together." The Monarch lunged and dodged the bolt of lightening shot at her. Her legs closed the distance and she slashed downward, her blow parried by the Nami's staff as the navigator shot her arms up to stop the blades from slicing into her face. She grunted when Rin deflected her staff with a flick of her wrist and back handed her body over the navigator, her leg lashed out, catching Nami on the shoulder blade and she was thrown forward. Gritting her teeth, the navigator twisted around,

"Gust Sword!" Wind shot out of her staff and Rin dodged, the blow smashed into the side of the pillar, wrecking one of the statues on the wall into pieces.

"You're pathetic! I should just kill you right here! Then I'll go and finish off your little crew myself!" Even as her aching body screamed a warning, Nami paid no heed as she threw herself onto the Monarch, her fist drawn back and she punched down. Her knuckles split the skin on Rin's lip as she grabbed her hair and yanked her head back,

"I won't let you!" she spat as the Monarch rammed her elbow into her diaphragm, momentarily winding her and leapt away. The entire room shook, the statues on the walls coming unhinged from their place as the Monarch skidded back and straightened, her chest heaving with effort,

"Fine. You want to see what happens when you let your guard down?" she panted. Her teeth bared and she dropped her swords, the blades clattered onto the ground.

"Look at me!" she spat, "This is why you cannot trust anyone!" Nami stumbled back a step when the woman began to strip off her clothes. Gone was the silk sash, gone was the elegant crown on her head. The high pumps were kicked off her feet and the flurry skirts around her waists untied. As the fabric pooled around her feet, the woman stepped out of her clothes and threw her shoulders back, her scarred body bare and open revealing the wounds she bore for time to see.

The Monarch laughed and stepped back to look at the navigator, her mouth opened in a mocking scoff,

"I know that look in your eyes; you've got that hopeful and pathetically determined expectation that in the end, everything would turn out alright," she spread her arms out and turned her palms upward toward the ceiling, "well I've got news for you child, it's not!" she thrusted her thumb toward her bare chest and slashed her hand down, "look at me!" Nami doggedly kept her chin up, ignoring the foreboding ache in her chest at the unsightly marks the woman bore.

The Monarch was scarred from her chest to her thighs. Aged knife wounds crisscrossed her breasts and stomach and long and ugly hatch marks decorated her pelvic and thighs. Burns and scorch marks blackened with time grew over the scarred skin and stretched out in torn patches over her backside and ribs. Even worse, carved and branded in wretched, horrifying slashes over her lower stomach were the words:

_Da die Sterne nicht leuchten._

"Where the stars don't shine," She sneered and swept her arm over the crumbling foundation and the charred figure crouched in the middle,

"You see that stone bastard lying there? Why do you think I never gave him a proper burial? Because he deserved it! He scorned me! He tossed me aside like I was some forgone toy! My husband! My father!" Nami clenched her teeth,

"Zoro would never do that to me!" She growled and her fingers tightened over her Clima Tact, "I will recover! And I know he will always have my back whenever I need him!" A laugh that sounded like metal over gravel echoed over the walls of the tower as the Monarch bent to retrieve her swords,

**"****LOOK AT ME!"** She screamed and she threw her shoulders back to display her pain, "see these scars? Do you think he took me back? Did you expect him to welcome me back with open arms?" Her face hardened and she brought her hands down to her sides, "what makes you think that he won't do the same to you?" Nami drew her weapon to her chest and braced herself,

"Because I trust him!" She hissed as the Monarch, with a screeching battle cry, twisted and hurled her blade straight for her head,

**"****LIES! ALL LIES!"** She shrieked and Nami brought her pole up and staggered under the heavy blow. She swore as her legs groaned and dropped to the ground, her leg instantly snapped out, kicking the Monarch in the sternum and the woman stumbled back laughing,

**"****HOW CAN SOMEONE LIKE YOU GET UP FROM THIS?!"** her sword sliced through the air and Nami's own staff ricocheted off the blows. She was dodging for her life; every glance of the blade was a hairs breadth away from giving her a grievous wound that she'd never recover from. With every slash, Rin's blows increased until she was wildly stabbing at her,

** "****WHY CAN I NOT LEAVE THIS?! HOW IS IT THAT YOU ARE ABLE TO SURVIVE BUT I DID NOT?!" **Nami flung her body out of the way, the serrated edge missing her by mere inches. She rolled to avoid another erratic slash. Too slow, the tip of the cutlass pierced the skin between her rib and flash of blinding pain shot into her body. Nami screamed and she grabbed her side, her heart thudded woodenly against her chest and she gritted her teeth as her sides cried out. In seconds, Rin was upon her, her hands closing around her throat, her pale fingers bone white from the amount of strength she was exerting.

**"****WHY! TELL ME WHY!"** She was choking the air from her lungs, her fingers scrabbled against the Monarch's grip and Nami bucked against her,

"Let go of me!" she gasped and Rin lifted her by her head and slammed her back down to the ground forcing what little breath she had left from her,

**"****WHY! WHY CAN'T I BREAK FREE FROM THIS?!" **The Monarch's voice broke as the room continued to violently shake. Another terrifying explosion sounded from outside the dome and Rin's hold on her faltered allowing the navigator to fill her lungs,

**"****BECAUSE YOU'RE ALONE!"** Nami shouted as a resounding roar echoed just beyond her reach,

**"****NAMI! WHERE ARE YOU?!" **She could never forget that voice even if it were to be torn from her memory. The voice that brought death and salvation with arms that protectively held her captive, a stark contrast to how he shed blood in the battlefield.

A beast in war. A man with her.

She'd welcome his salvation with open arms.

**"****ZORO!" **He heard her. The wall barricading the small villa shuddered as the sound of a whirlwind of power forced its way past the stone wall, blasting the entire blockade to smithereens.

Sweat glistened over his body, the familiar green bandanna tied over his forehead, his teeth clenched around his sword as the swordsman slid to a stop, breathing hard. His eye caught the Monarch's hands clamped around her throat and his face turned murderous.

It was only a split second before the Monarch was ripped off her and thrown against the wall.

Zoro didn't drop his guard even has he crouched to a knee and indicated her to tilt her chin up so that he could access her neck. He was close enough to fit her into the warmth of his body, but far enough that they never touched.

"Are you okay?" He rasped and Nami stared up at him, her eyes conveying what words could never define,

"Yes." The swordsman nodded and she turned to look at the Monarch who was struggling to get up,

"You were alone without any support, not even your father was there to help you recover." The Monarch shot her a withering glare,

"I needed no one." She spat and Nami shook her head and turned at the sound of a dozen of feet running toward her,

**"****NAMI! WE'RE HERE!"** Luffy had finally punched through the crowd with the rest of the Strawhats closing after him,

"Nami! Are you okay?" Usopp dashed over with his Kabuto raised, "Thank god you're alright! The Insurgence are winning! We managed to take down most of the Brahmins so that helped a lot. Robin's vitals are stable, Chopper and Franky are almost here and Sanji and Brook are still looking for Faith's mom-" he froze and his mouth dropped open,

"The M-monarch! S-she's here!" his brought his Kabuto forward and dug in his satchel for his plants. Nami returned her gaze to the fallen leader,

"Everyone needs someone. I'm sorry that there wasn't anyone there to help-" her voice broke off and she gasped,

"Raphael! He was-"

"Raphael was long gone before this all happened." There was no mistaking the bitter tinge in her voice as Rin finally gave up moving and rested her head against the pillar, "he could never have helped me," Nami didn't miss the longing in the Monarch's tone as she stared emptily up at the ceiling,

"No! The bartender! He's Raphael! He's-"

"Dead. I killed him." The Monarch lowered her head to face her, "I knew it was him. I knew it all along." She heaved out a breath, "but he wasn't the Raphael that I knew. Not anymore. He's gone too." She lurched and doubled over gagging as her body gave a ripple and Rin threw up a mouthful of blood, the liquid that spilled from her lips was pitch black.

"You've been poisoned." Nami whipped her head, "someone call Chopper!" Usopp faltered,

"But-" Rin held up her hands, a broken chuckle spilled from her mouth,

"I'm not surprised. It was probably during dinner. How careless of me. I let my guard down." She closed her eyes and her shoulders drooped in defeat,

"You know when I was younger, I was always afraid of the dark." she wiped the blood dribbling off her chin and coughed, "my sister, one of the older kids would always sing this one silly line to me," she gave Nami a bared grin full of teeth as her legs wobbled and she sagged against a pillar,

"She'd tell me: sing with hope and the fear will be gone." Another trail of blood ran past her parted lips and she brushed it away with her hand, "how wrong she was. One, I can't sing, and two," her eyes fluttered, "here, where the moon and the sun don't shine, this place has become my sanctuary, my home." The Monarch's head lolled to face her, "the problem is: the fear will never be gone, you'll always remember it, and you'll never be able to get rid of it." She pressed a hand to her chest as her breathing grew desperate,

"Don't take that risk child. You'll regret it for the rest of your life." The Monarch looked as if she aged another twenty years, "just as I have been doing ever since." Nami opened her mouth only for a shadow to fall over her as Luffy stepped up,

"She's got nothing to be afraid about. She's got us." Rin's eyes flickered as she set her gaze on the captain. The barest hint of a wry smile tugged the corners of her lips,

"How…nice." She murmured faintly and turned her head blearily to her crowned father in the middle of the remnants of the stone courtyard, "I wonder," she whispered softly, "if I had met people like you, would I still have stars inside me?" her chest heaved once.

The barest of sighs left Rin Ivankov's lips…and she too, was no more.

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**A/N: In case any of you were wondering where the flashback came from, the flashback was inspired and created from one of Oda's cover pictures in the beginning of chapter 745.**


	42. Chapter 42 Rapier

**Rapier**

**I've written out the majority of this chapter months ago and had set this chapter aside as a landmark to be used at the end of the Arc. I can't believe we've reached the end of Nishima! It took awhile but it was a well worth effort! Thank you so much for staying with me guys! We're reaching the halfway mark of this story! Let's go!**

**Juli6014417: You're very welcome!**

**Mistress 0f Dragons: (40) I hope this background gave you the answers to your questions. And i'm glad to know that you're doing fine! (41) Yeah i know you guys were dying to return back to the main story. Thank you for waiting!**

_**The song "Powerful" by Empire and of course the Story's Theme Song "So Ist Es Immer" was a source of inspiration for this piece! **_

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**The Morning **after the war was met not with tears of grief, but a solemn and somber silence as the survivors collected the dead and tended to the wounded. The crew had wrestled their way into the tower and the cook kicked a hole into the throne room to find Alena crumbled on the ground with the executioners lying dead around her.

They found Raphael nailed to the top of the tower overlooking the city. He'd been crucified to a cross and was clinging to life by the thinnest of threads. She'd buried her blades into his chest and carved the words on her stomach into his body, one he chose to bear as a memory of her before their fallout.

The barrier that kept the Inner City and its forestry from the Outer City had dissolved the second the breath left the Monarch's lungs. Broken families were made whole, bridges mended, and souls reunited.

As the day drew close to an end, Luffy stretched his arms back and declared what he always did after any triumphant battle; have Sanji cook up a massive feast fit for his stomach and everyone around him.

No one chastised him for his lack of respect for the fallen; the dead were not to be mourned, but were to be honored and celebrated for their bravery.

And so, the Island of Nishima rejoiced. Held in the home wiped clean of the Monarch's presence, centered around the enormous ballroom with open ceilings that depicted the Inner City's beautifully painted skies. Sanji did not disappoint, vast quantities of food littered the buffets that lined the sides concoctions from both Nishiman culture and the tastes of the world beyond the ocean. The ballroom doors were thrown wide open and people streamed in dressed in their best. Tonight, was a time of celebration. Tears would be later shed, but the people's eyes had been opened. Their Monarch was no powerful god, only a broken woman who had exerted her misery and despair over the innocent for over a decade.

When a suited-up Brook dashed onto the stage and made a break for the empty piano, the musicians playing on the set and the dancers froze on shock. There was a living skeleton with a top hat and a cane cracking his joints and flexing his fingers. One of the villagers shot a nervous glance at Brook and Luffy laughed and clapped his hands shouting,

"Play something fun Brook!"

The second the musician laid his hands onto the grand piano, the large room leaped to life. Disbelief turned to joy and with joy, came a blazing burst of laughter and wonder as Luffy, with a wild yell, leaped into the fray holding his hat and mug. His infectious howls along with the way his arms shot out way beyond the limits of human reach and drag people with him into his crazy dance had the entire village in fits of mirth as the island of Nishima exploded into a bright light full of warmth and laughter.

Music, as we all know, holds an incredible amount of power. It draws emotions dwelling deep in our hearts that we may never know existed and brings it to the forefront. It influences the actions of rage, rapture and redemption and a flurry of many other sentiments. In this case, the melodious swell of the music had persuaded our left-footed, stern-face first mate to grow a backbone and approach the fiery haired navigator who had been sitting on a bench with a glass in her hand. She had decided not to join in the celebration and took a bystander's perspective of the merriment. To anyone else, they'd merely see a beautiful yet detached woman who refused to partake in the festivity.

But Zoro, as we all know very well by now, wasn't simply anyone else.

Dressed in her best, a high collar, backless, shimmering gown that intimately hugged her body like a second skin, she was in her own right, the epitome of beautiful.

Beautiful, yet so withheld from the celebration.

The crew knew better than to bother her tonight, they knew very well her boundaries and throwing her into a crowd where she was bound to be touched may very well be suicide.

Nevertheless it was clear, in the navigator's eyes how she longed to join in, yet the slight smile on her face and the way she held her body hid the fear she buried inside. She had coaxed a reluctant Robin into taking Franky's outstretched hand and they were currently doing a wonderful job waltzing across the room.

There were too many bodies swaying around for her to join in. What if a stray elbow jostled her or someone accidentally bumped into her…what if an intoxicated villager threw himself onto her? What if she got claustrophobic and had a panic attack in the middle of the room? Nami shook her head and took another swing of her drink…better to stay on the sidelines, it was much safer.

Scuffed boots stepped into her line of vision and the navigator lifted her head to see a set of powerful thighs covered in dark pants in front of her. Her eyes traveled up to the all-too familiar belly-warmer wrapped around a strong waist, overlapping a cream shift and partially covered by a dark coat.

She looked up only to see Zoro looking down at- no; rather he was examining the ground in front of her.

"Is the floor that interesting?" sarcasm dripped from every word and he jerked his head up. Ebony green latched onto coffee colored orbs and a wave of silence washed between them.

1…

2…

"Erm…" Zoro coughed, the tips of his ears turned visibly red and he coughed again. The navigator, with a bit of her teasing nature coming back to her, couldn't help but poke at him,

"Did you come here to give me a drink?" he didn't reply and she tapped her foot,

"Were you going to ask me something?" silence echoed back,

"Can you refill my glass right now? I'm thirsty," she held out her cup and rose a brow when he didn't respond, his face still stuck to the ground,

"Are you going to finally pay the debt you owe me?" The glare he shot her cracked a grin out of her,

"What-"

**"WOULD YOU SHUT UP?! I WAS GOING TO ASK IF YOU WANTED TO DANCE!**" in a split second, the space around her hushed as the people in her vicinity gawked at them.

Nami, despite her fear and unsure of how else to react, burst into peals of laughter. Clutching her stomach, she gasped,

"D-do you even know how to dance?" The blistering snarl and the flash of hurt from the swordsman's expression had her chuckles screeching to a stop and she studied his face, "y-your serious aren't you?"

The red flush on his ears had now spread onto his cheeks and Zoro ran a hand through his hair and shifted his weight to his other foot,

"Yes." He snapped and without another word, his right hand shot out, nearly clipping her chin. For a minute, she sat there, staring at his outstretched hand in shock; Zoro? Dance? With those kind of wayward feet? Impossible. She swallowed another giggle threatening to burst from her lips and shook her head,

"I can't." The swordsman's brows furrowed in confusion,

"Why not?" Nami sighed in exasperation,

"Because there are people that might accidentally touch me and it'll be embarrassing if I suddenly have a panic attack in the middle of the party. Besides, I can't even-" she choked on the word and this time, it was her turn to lower her head.

Movement had her raising her eyes to see that Zoro had squatted down in front of her, his head leveled with hers, a jagged orb gazed intently at her,

"You can't what." The navigator kept her eyes to his forearms folded over his knees,

"I can't even touch you," she dry-swallowed and squeezed her eyes shut; she hated this irrational fear. She could barely step foot outside the safety of the Alena's house without breaking into shudders. Even now, her psych could barely tolerate Zoro's presence; it was bearable, yet torturous.

Something draped over Nami's bare shoulders and she opened her eyes to see Zoro's long coat arranged over her shoulders. He wordlessly motioned for her to lean back and fastened the first three buttons together leaving the coat to hang from her shoulders. She shot him a puzzled look and he ignored her and stood up.

"C'mon." two fingers beckoned her to up from her seat. Bewildered, the navigator reluctantly followed him into the middle where the dancing took place. Fear immediately flooded her heart and Nami stumbled back,

"Zoro I can't." the swordsman spun around, his head cocked to the side, eyes watching her, encouraging her,

"Yes you can."

"I don't think-"

"Yes. You. Can." It was a command. It was a belief. He'd spoken the words with such conviction she knew right then and there, he believed, with every fiber of his being, that she could do it.

Iron will accompanied by alarm bells poured into her trembling body and with her heart in her throat, the navigator felt her back straighten and her chin tilted up. She kept her eyes on him, always on him as she slowly made her way over to where he was standing.

Nami stopped when they were inches apart, her breath labored and her eyes wide and alert.

"Now what?" she mustered up a scowl and stood there with her hands to her sides, fighting the urge to scan their surroundings for people who might brush up against her. She stiffened when Zoro reached out to grab the empty sleeves of his jacket hanging off her body. He wound them twice around his wrist, then another forcing her to step closer till they were less than an inch apart,

"We dance." The navigator held up her hands,

"Where do I put my hands?" In reply, Zoro canted his hips, indicating his haramaki to her,

"Hold onto my haramaki." Nami hesitated, her eyes darting up for permission before she gingerly tucked her fingers into the top of his belly warmer. A flash of anticipation swept through her body and with her breath held, they moved,

**"OW!"** at the first step, she felt the man's treacherous boot clunk down right on top of her foot,

"Sorry." Zoro muttered and Nami cursed when she felt his boot kick her shin,

"Can you even dance?" she hissed and saw the back his ears redden,

He answered with a sheepish, "no" and they tried again.

Their third attempt to move the pair in some acceptable form of swaying was even more pathetic; somehow, the swordsman had managed to simultaneously crash into not one, but four different couples when he tried to spin her away from an incoming dancer. The third time he endeavored to spin her, he ended up spinning himself headlong onto the ground and tripped on the steps leading to the stage, yanking Nami along with him.

She yelped and her body gave a frantic lunge to get away from him, nearly falling off the stage and Zoro reflexively grabbed her arms pulling her to him. Nami's entire body seized up and she felt the beginnings of a full-blown panic attack well up in her throat,

"D-don't touch me!" she gasped and her chest constricted as she struggled to breath. Her vision took a hit and her mind turned to mush as the navigator heaved for a breath.

"Look at me." Large hands grasped her face and she fought to break free, her eyes flickered wildly back and forth and she beat at his chest, her mouth opened in an empty scream. At once, the music froze and the crew was upon her. Chopper was yanking angrily at Zoro's shirt to pry him from her, Sanji was being restrained and his neck jutted forward, mouth spewing a flurry of curses.

**"GET THE HELL AWAY FROM HER YOU BASTARD! YOU'RE GIVING HER A F*CKING PANIC ATTACK!"** Luffy had his arms wrapped around his first mate's body, glaring at him,

"Zoro! Let her go! Chopper needs to give her the thingy to stop her panic attack!"

**"YOU SHITTY-!"**

**"SHUT-UP!"** the roar blasted throughout the room which had gone deadly silent. Nami's breath stuttered and she began to thrash; the room was closing upon her, there were too many people…

"I can't breathe." She wailed and the hands on her face tightened,

**"GIVE HER SOME F*CKING ROOM! SHE CAN'T BREATHE!"** Zoro's blistering bellow had everyone at once, withdrawing a few feet.

"Look at me Nami." The navigator shook her head, frantic; the blackness around her eyes wasn't fading, why was it fading? Why couldn't she breathe? Why couldn't she-

"Don't look at the others, look at me." The gritty rumble in Zoro's voice smoothened to a warm growl that had her fixing her eyes upon him.

"Zoro…help-" her breath stuttered and she was desperately struggling for air. He was staring fiercely at her, the tips of his fingers gently massaged her throbbing temples and Nami's eyes instantly drew down to his large chest as it expanded,

"Breath with me." Zoro reached down and grabbed her hands and placed them against his heart. Under her fingers, she felt the slow and steady beat of his life, a strong rhythm that coaxed her frantically beating heart to follow. The command locked her body into autopilot. At once, she felt her lungs loosen and a rush of air entered her starved body,

"Breathe." Nami obeyed the order, her eyes glued to his, and her mouth automatically opened and she inhaled as she allowed the swordsman's voice to rush over her, protecting her, controlling her.

It was only when she felt the darkness retreat from her eyes did she finally relax, the effort proved to be more than she could take and with a soft groan, she sank into his body, going limp in his arms.

A part of her dimly wondered if the man held some sort of power that captivated her and kept her grounded but the rational side of her knew better; Zoro was gradually becoming her anchor and her pillar of support as she steered herself through the treacherous waters.

And if her anchor were to ever abandon her…

* * *

"Play the music you were playing." Protests erupted from both villager and crew but Zoro didn't care; he was going to hold onto her and dance. Even if she couldn't dance, he'd dance enough for the both of them, clumsy feet be damned.

"But Zoro-san-"

"Do it Brook." Sanji, finally free from his restraints, stormed up to him and jabbed a finger at his chest,

"What the hell were you thinking you stupid Marimo! Has moss actually replaced your brain? You could've killed her!" Sanji chomped down onto his cigarette and held out his arms, "give her to me! I'll take her back to Mrs. Alena's house," Before Zoro could stop himself, a low snarl ripped from his chest, sending the villagers tripping back in fear. Sanji stood motionless in front of him. He dragged the stick from his mouth and bared his own teeth, glaring at him, "don't give me that caveman crap, she needs Chopper right now and you holding her isn't going to help her get better!" He was being perfectly reasonable and Zoro knew it, yet the selfish part of him vehemently denied the logic and he held her closer to his chest,

"Move." The word flew past his lips pulled back even further and Sanji stuck his neck out and jabbed his finger at him,

"Give Nami-san to me before I kick your f*cking head in." Cold fury rushed with a fervor into the swordsman's body as every single cell in him rebelled.

They'd have to kill him and pry his fingers off her body first.

The cook's eyes flicked down and he inhaled a sharp breath,

"What the f*ck are you doing? Get your hands off her! You're hurting her!" Zoro jerked his gaze down and nearly dropped the navigator in horror; his grip on her arm was hard enough that when he released his fingers, there was a pale print of his mark on her skin.

Any second now he'd be shoving her into the cook's arms and making a break for it out of the room. When he made a move to, the slightest of tugs brought the first mate's attention to the slender hand that unconsciously curled itself around the folds of his shirt.

He wasn't the only one who didn't want to let go of her just yet.

"Please. Let me…let me take care of her tonight." The words were nothing more than a low mutter, but it sent Sanji blinking at him in shock. The cook and the rest of the Strawhats were now openly gaping at him. Zoro felt his body go up in flames but kept his eyes onto the blonde chef; he wasn't one to ask for favors unless it was a life and death situation but…

"Ah damnit." The flicker of a single flame from Sanji's lighter lighted up the man's face as he relit his cigarette and stepped back shaking his head, "you watch over her or I'll be the one to kick your ass marimo!" The moment he stepped back, the music restarted and the world gave a heave of relief as it returned into motion. Luffy threw a grin of assurance at the villagers,

"Shishishishi it's alright! We can keep partying!" he turned his head to check on his navigator and zeroed his at Zoro, "keep an eye on her for us Zoro." His tone was light, even friendly, yet there was no mistaking the heavy implication along with the consequences should he screw up hung in the air. The swordsman gave his captain a curt nod and pivoted on his heel and wove his way into the side of the room. He didn't stop walking till he was well outside of the room and the cool breeze of the night surrounded them.

He would never, for as long as he lived, forget the look of utter fear and desolation on her face neither did he ever want to see it again. He'd seen it once before and now as he stared down protectively at Nami's upturned face, he swore that he'd do his damnedest to put that promised smile back on her face.

Secluded away from the crowd, and accompanied by music drifting from the ballroom, Zoro began to sway, putting everything on the swivel of his hips and thighs, his feet firmly planted on the ground. The man fixed his eye on her, tracing the slender path of her cheekbones, down to the sweeping lengths of her jaw, to the long and smooth columns of her throat.

He took that time to examine her serene appearance and was forced to admit that Nami, despite her frantic and panicked episode, looked as if her panic attack never happened. The strong urge to kiss her overwhelmed him and Zoro stopped swaying, struck with the revelation. He looked down at the woman in his arms and gulped; he would not take advantage of a vulnerable woman.

He wouldn't dare…

Yet he found himself casting his eye around their surroundings, peering past the low hanging branches and keeping a keen eye out for any wandering bystanders.

There were none.

The urge became even stronger and Zoro's throat convulsed, he wouldn't dare…

F*ck it.

With a soft curse, he gave in, his head dipped and he lightly, briefly pressed his mouth to hers. His neck strained to hold his head as the swordsman held his body in check; in tight and perfect control. For a long moment, he stayed there, breathing her in, savoring what he hoped would sate him for a while.

A lingering kiss on her cherubic mouth.

And then another.

"Thank you." Zoro whispered. She'd trusted him. Placed herself in a capricious position where she'd come face to face with the fear that haunted her most.

And yet she still trusted him.

When her panic finally burst forth, she'd done the one thing he'd been wanting her to do ever since the incident at the tavern.

She reached out to him.

God he wanted to do so much more than just kiss her. If he could just hold her till he squeezed everything out of her body, her pain, her demons, her anxieties and then force her heart to beat the same passionate and fierce tandem as his own.

The sound of wheels crunching over dry leaves pricked the swordsman's ears and he spun around to see Raphael wheel himself out from behind a thicket of branches drooping over the weeping willow, a glass in one hand,

"Oh? I didn't expect anyone to be here," He shot the first mate a raised brow, the beginnings of a smirk brightening his scarred face. "I hope I wasn't interrupting something important." Zoro scowled at the injured bartender and coughed,

"No…you, you weren't interrupting anything." He grumbled and pulled Nami all the closer to himself,

"I saw what happened back there at my tavern," Zoro startled and turned to see Raphael tilt his glass toward him, "the woman you're holding? She's important to you right?" the swordsman made a noncommittal grunt and uncomfortably shifted his feet. The Bartender tipped his head back and downed his glass, "You saved our asses back there, so I'll give you a bit of advice when it comes to women." Raphael rolled his cup in his hands and adjusted his seat,

"We're pretty stupid when it comes to women." Zoro grimaced and Raphael chuckled, "there's no denying it, we all act like dumbasses around them, one way or another." The Bartender sobered, "and if your girl is anything like the Monarch, then you better be prepared to strap yourself in for the shit-storm that's about to happen." The swordsman tensed,

"When it comes it comes." His voice was tight and Raphael regarded his expression,

"Don't stifle her. You're no more than an annoyance if you decide to hover over her like you're doing now." Zoro furrowed his brows,

"I don't hover." Raphael snorted,

"Take a look at yourself in the mirror and tell me the face you're wearing isn't the appearance of a f*cking nightmare. You're going to suffocate her to death." He waved his hand, "let her breath on her own, she doesn't need a shield, she needs a sword." Raphael motioned to Zoro's weapons strapped to his side, "give her those, she can slay her own demons herself." The swordsman settled down onto protruding rubble and brushed his hand over an errant strand on her cheek, tucking the lock behind her ear,

"But I am the sword." Raphael glanced at him and smiled,

"Exactly."

* * *

**Thank you for reading! Leave your thoughts below!**


	43. Chapter 43 Rumble

**Rumble**

**Whew! I wasn't surprised by the amount of positive feed back i got for the last chapter! It looks like you guys were starving for these scenes! Don't worry! There's so much more to come in that basket...just after these last few hurdles. I'm so sorry for the hold up! I was stuck on this section and feeling completely lost. Even now, i find myself struggling to dig deeper into this story. Don't worry i haven't lost the inspiration or the will to continue! I just need to find a way to bounce more ideas off of. **

**Guest: I knew you would!**

**Ursularix:** **Thank you! I hope I can continue to enhance and expand more on this story! It's going to be a pivitol point for the next few chapters as we head out towards Zou. I'm glad you caught that last part :) **

**Mistress 0f Dragons**: **Ahhh your reactions are as refreshing as always haha. Let's go for making that small ray a big ray of sunshine! Zoro? Dancing? Gracefully? Never! Yes yes we've only reached what i estimate is the halfway point in this story. Alas slow burns take a long time to reach their climax. And when they do, it will be worth it. **

**Mushroom Pizza**: **Of course you were waiting for it! I was waiting for it too haha! **

**Juli6014417: Updated!**

* * *

We all know and are aware the importance of bonds. Pack animals rely on touch for reassurance and safety; humans are not too different in that aspect. Bonds keep people from their horrors and shield them against whatever plagued them. To rely and be relied upon, to trust and be trusted no matter the circumstances, to follow and be followed, obey and obeyed, love and be loved. That was what the Strawhat crew was made up of; total, unfaltering and unwavering loyalty and trust. And at this point in Nami's life, she needed her crew more than anything in the world. Her focus and advances on navigation would only keep her mind from crumbling and her thoughts from haunting her. Tying herself to the people she trusted with her own life would transform her belief in her captain and her crew into an unshakable mountain of faith.

The crew was what grounded her from the impending fear and bile welling up her throat now as the navigator pressed herself close to Chopper's furry body. Robin had been transported back to the Sunny to rest and was unable to attend the final goodbye at the tavern. Nami's eyes darted around the Inner City's main pub and she tugged her beverage closer to her chest. It was her stubborn determination to break away from her trauma of men and rowdy places that led her to join the rest of the crew for a drink. Nami was confident that she'd be able to handle the bar as long as she had the crew at her side despite the worrying glances Chopper and Usopp threw at her, not to mention the swordsman's discerning stare searing into her back as she hopped onto a stool and gave the bartender who was temporarily subbing for Raphael her order.

Nami knew she was completely lying to herself because the second the Strawhats stepped into the bar, all the buoyant bravado flew from her and left her with nothing but a pounding heart and parched throat. Her fingers tightened over the mug's polished sides and she tipped her head back and took a swing; she needed the liquid courage to keep her feet from bolting.

A thick elbow connected to a muscled shoulder accidentally jostled her arm and Nami instinctively jerked to the side, her head whipped over to stare at the man who gave her buxom an appreciative onceover before he apologized. With blatant interest in his eyes, the man leaned toward her and opened his mouth only to snap it shut, the insipid expression of fear stamped over his face and he blanched and hurriedly leaned back mumbling another apology before he grabbed his drink and shoved off.

Nami turned her head across the table to see Zoro's murderous glare shoot daggers at the man's quickly retreating back before those dark orbs slid to hers and inspected her expression for a moment, he tipped his head in a soundless nod and returned to his drink. Normally, the navigator would growl at him to mind his own business and that she could handle herself, but lately the swordsman's laidback demeanor had visibly shrunk over the short amount of time they'd been on Nishima. It was their last morning in Nishima and Zoro's attitude wasn't getting any better. He now growled like an irritated bear at anyone who - wasn't a Strawhat- so much as hovered within a few feet of her vicinity and made sure he situated himself wherever she was present.

And he had the right to, he and the crew and every right to feel concern over her wellbeing. She could feel it, every one of the Straw hats had their eyes brush over her more than once before they returned to their conversation. Even as Chopper happily chatted away with Brook, she knew every single one of the reindeer's senses were on alert for any signs of distress.

The navigator tightened her hands over her glass.

She was irritated. Grateful, but irritated all the same.

The navigator had woken up alone in the safety of her bed tucked away in the Sunny. Her hands had reached out to stretch and encountered lingering warmth on the other side of the mattress. Nami's fingers touched the empty indent situated a few inches from where she laid.

The edges of her lips curved upward.

He stayed the night. For her.

That smile had vanished and was now replaced with a cross scowl in which she hid behind her glass. Her eyes narrowed at the swordsman. While the navigator welcomed the protective stance the man took up, he was spoiling the atmosphere by making the other patrons edgy. He was lucky he took a seat on the other side of the bar or the first mate would find himself at the end of her Clima Tact with a good, hard shock to his ass.

"Are you feeling better?" a slender elbow nudged her side and Faith took a seat on her other side. Nami tipped her cup toward her and nodded,

"I'm feeling a lot better, sorry for the scene I caused last night." The poor girl had more things on her plate than any girl her age should handle, yet Faith's eyes still shone as she wiggled in her seat and shrugged,

"It's not your fault, your date should've known better." Nami chuckled and lightly scratched a nail over the table's polished surface,

"He made up for it." Faith arched her brow curiously at the navigator only to pout when Nami kept her lips sealed. Faith pouted, "how's your mother doing?" that dropped the pout, the teenager glanced out the patched window,

"She's recovering, my dad is taking care of her," Faith heaved a sigh and slumped forward, her cheek pressed against the wood, "I'm just glad this is all over," her expression of relief was palpable as she folded her hands under her chin, "I've been waiting for so long…" she trailed off and sat up abruptly, her entire posture humming a different note -almost lighter- as Faith, with the inquisitiveness and curiosity of any normal female teenager, cupped her mouth and whispered,

"The really moody guy with the swords. Are you two…y'know," she made an incomprehensible gesture with her hands and Nami blinked,

"We're?" A faint hint of blush crested over the young girl's cheeks and she discreetly angled her finger at the swordsman and back at her,

"You're…you're a thing…right?" There was something rather innocent about that statement and it took the navigator a bit longer to realize how sheltered and separated the teenager was from the subject. It wasn't that no one bothered to sit down and have a proper discussion with Faith, it was simply the fact that no one had the _time _to approach the subject, not when survival was their priority. Nami sent her a reassuring smile and forced her overly taxed body to loosen, her muscles would pay for the lack of proper rest the following morning.

"I suppose we are." Faith leaned in further, her eyes gleamed with anticipation,

"What's it like?" That had Nami breaking off her thoughts to pause. She tilted her head to the side, her fingers methodically tapped against her glass as she carefully wrapped her head around the question.

What was it like? Her eyes slid from their unfocused contemplation over to the swordsman who'd settled himself as comfortably as one was able to on the wooden stool and was currently in the middle of a debate with his captain. As if her stare held some sort of telepathic pull, his good eye lifted from the Strawhat and rested on her.

He'd never been as attentive as he was before the incident at Dressrosa. There hadn't been many things that could tear the swordsman's attention away from whatever required his present concentration. They'd settle into an amendable rhythm that suited both of their needs. She'd poke and growl and he'd prod and prompt and irk each other till one of them snapped and when that happened, the sparks that came from it was like fire thrown into a tub of gasoline. It was a natural and continuous routine.

She'd blurted to him the three words once and nearly clobbered him when all he did was freeze for a good long moment. There wasn't any particular reason why she chose that day to say it. He certainly never made the effort initiate it either. The navigator simply told him that she realized that she'd spend her youth grasping too late what love was didn't want him to go on wondering if how she felt about him. The idiot spent a good minute gaping at her. He never returned the words but snorted and gave her a long and perspicuously thorough kiss before heading up to the crows nest.

The dense bastard still hasn't told her he loved her.

And that hurt.

From across the pub, Zoro raised an inquisitive brow that asked the silent question _'do you need me?'_ and Nami quickly masked the familiar hurt that was resurging and shook her head. The first mate dragged his eye over her form, painstakingly dissecting her current state till he deemed her welfare acceptable and returned his attention back to his captain.

However, something had changed when they reunited two years later, something had been stirred awake and now tormented the man with a sadistic glee even she couldn't begin to comprehend. His gaze had sharpened to the point where it beheld the same intensity as the danger his swords possessed. He was brooding, a whirlwind that caged the chaos mounting within in a tight, strictly controlled cage he'd constructed. The storm brewing in his eye had only worsened when they reached Dressrosa. It lied just beneath the surface of his skin, a primordial tension stretched so tight there was no telling when it would snap.

Nami knew exactly where she stood in the swordsman's life, he knew it too, and that had him working even harder to shut her out of that specific part of him. She despised that little gap that was growing more obvious, and now glared at the man who she knew was keeping a close eye on her. He was probably wondering what he'd done now to put that scowl on her face but the swordsman's turned position never budged.

Yet the navigator knew why he'd kept it away from her. She'd been given a small taste of it in the battlefield when he came to her rescue. Not even one of his movements were wasted. They all obligated consequences that resulted in a massive amount of bloodshed. What he'd done to the Kshatriya when they went after her would have been, to some, a bit of an overkill.

Apparently, none of that mattered when it came to her wellbeing.

Looking at him, she knew he'd never apologized for what he did when he felt there was a reasonable justification for his actions.

A light nudge to her arm brought the navigator back and after unhinging her jaw, Nami replied,

"It's…it's not something I can really put into words," Nami hesitated, "Our relationship is a bit…complicated right now." Faith gave a slight frown and after giving her answer a minute to sink in, nodded,

"I can understand that." Her bottom lip pursed and she looked up at the ceiling before facing the navigator again, "But how does it feel? To be in a…a relationship?" The shy yet hopeful glimmer in her eye showing just how young she was, "Is it…is it good?"

This time, there wasn't a need for hesitation or further contemplation. The soft smile and the gentle curve on the navigator's lips gave away her answer,

"With him? Yes. Yes, it is."

* * *

The islanders of Nishima had been more than generous because they replenished the Sunny's dwindling supplies till the Sunny's weight sunk a few inches deeper into the waves. Chopper had long disappeared into the cabin rooms to check on Robin's condition and let the crew to say their goodbyes.

Faith, her brother Kahn, Abelard and his bone-weary foster father Raphael stood at the edge of the harbor with a few other villagers. The islanders had decided to reopen their borders in hopes of expanding their once powerful and widespread communication city and return the Island of Nishima back to its former glory. Nishima would once more evolve to become one of the world's largest communication and trading ports…at least that was the plan. Raphael was in the middle of reestablishing a connection with the Revolutionary Army and made plans to resume his work under Dragon while stepping in as an ambassador between the organization and Nishima Island. In doing so, the island had not only obtained a powerful sponsor who would aid them in reconstruction, but The Revolutionary Army would gain another supporter and a prime location to further their end goal.

"Thank you for helping us! Have a safe journey!" With the Insurgence and the villager's farewells at their backs, the Strawhats turned their faces up towards the yawning skies and the waters that stretched far ahead. Some expressions blazed with pure, unadulterated excitement, others a mixed fervor of hope and a newfound determination. The lingering few possessed eyes tainted with thoughts that planted worrying seeds that blemished the determination and hope.

What lied ahead, could only be unraveled with whatever time presented them.

Under Law's watchful eye and exasperated guidance, the next few days passed by without too many complications…unless you want to count the crew's pathetic attempt at navigation during the time Nami made the poor decision to retire to her room to rest – the chaotic and frantic dashing around to right the ship back to their desired course had been a complete terror. By the time the Sunny surged out of the storm, the surgeon had worked himself into a fine, sweaty fit swearing if they tried to "force feed him bread to shut him up" again he'd cut them all to pieces and navigate the damn ship himself.

However, no one, not even the captain, could miss the distinct tension that hovered over the crew. It was thin, very much like an airy blanket or a light jacket; secure and comforting during cool weather, but stifling and invading during a suffocating season such as now. Blatant and forceful ignorance wasn't the proper way to approach it, but neither one of them knew exactly the right tactic of approach.

Her physical reaction had hit full force once again at the end of the first week of their departure from Nishima. Anything, and everything proved to be a trigger to her. Nami had been adamant in returning to her regular rhythm in the ship and that included taking up the routinely chores they'd assign to each person. Over their protests, the navigator insisted that the cadence would've been to give her some sort of support to keep her going about her day. Chopper had been more than pressing as he warned her that she'd have to be careful about whatever could trigger her into another panic attack.

"Anything can trigger it," Chopper fussed as he rearranged his newly acquired medical supplies into the built-in cabinets -courtesy of Franky-, "places, people, even something as a subtle as a scent. Whatever brings you to back to that place will immediately trigger a reaction from your body," the reindeer closed the glass door, "Your body will reject certain things that remind you of the incident, it's not something you can stop," he reached over to lay a comforting hoof on her knee, "we'll all be there to help you," the doctor turned his blueberry hue nose upward to peer into her eyes,

"Just don't try to hide it from us Nami. You said it yourself, whatever pain you feel…we're not going to let you go through it alone."

The navigator had been cutting an assortment of herbaceous plants when she lifted the back of her wrist to brush an itch tugging at the skin on her nose. The scent of pungent onion and cold leather plunged straight into her nose, punching her straight back into the cobbled streets. Nami's entire body seized up as her firm grip onto the knife's handle became strangling. Smoldering heat infused her cheeks and crackled all the way down to her spine as panic and fury shot down her body. As her breathing tightened, her throat constricted and she found herself gasping for air, the knife in her hand wobbled dangerously in her shaking hold. Nami's knees had begun to lock together just as Sanji entered the kitchen with another basketful only to drop it with an upset bellow. Her name fired out of the cook's mouth like a bullet from a machine gun and in an instant, everyone clamored into the kitchen, private space be damned.

Touch and presence was something the Strawhat crew thrived on, a reassurance that your loved ones had your back. However, with their crowding, the increase of bodies surrounding her shrinking form. Touch and presence were the last thing the navigator was seeking.

Nami bolted.

Out of the room she ran, tearing straight out of Sanji's braced arms, thundering down the stairs till she nearly smacked herself headfirst into Zoro's incoming body. He'd leaped off from his position in the crows nest and was hell bent after Brook when a slender form flashed out of the kitchen and slammed into him. Her familiar scent reached him and before his mind could process everything, the swordman's arms instantly wrapped themselves right around her body. In the past whatever had troubled her, the remedy he found that worked with Nami was to hold onto her as tightly as possible and press her as closely as humanly achievable to himself. Chest to chest, shoulder brushing shoulder, and her ear tucked against his beating heart.

She'd let out a sigh of relief after a moment and thank him with a long and drawn out kiss that left him envisioning what would occur later tonight.

The intended reaction never happened.

Instead, the scream that tore from Nami's lungs had a pair of unnaturally long arms fisting themselves onto the back of his shirt and Zoro was ripped away from the navigator. The sudden shock loosened the strength in his arms and Nami broke free from him and headed straight for her room. The audible sound of the door slamming shut behind her worked like the crack of a whip flaying onto his hardened body.

"Zoro! That was uncalled for!" Usopp snapped and the first mate blinked dumbly at the sniper,

"What did I do wrong?" Chopper shook his head and walked over to toward the ladies cabin,

"She'll be fine, I'll check on her." The forced confidence in his voice did nothing to appease the crew. Sanji muttered a curse and picked up were the navigator left off, mumbling a string of profanities under his breath as he chopped, his entire back was a taut line of tension as the chef's speed increased as his cooking took the brunt of his frustration.

They were at least another week's journey from the Island of Zou and already, metaphorical thunderstorms were forming.

Time to think. Time to process. Space. That was what she needed. That was what would be best for her shaken state.

Unfortunately, space and time apart never sat well from the Straw Hats. Not even Chopper could help himself from fretting over her. God forbid the crew would ever think to wrap her up with cotton and lock her safely away within the Sunny. She'd burn then alive with her Clima Tact and beat the ever-loving hell out of them. However, there wasn't a Straw Hat on board that had a clue of the next step.

So they continued to fumble.

"Nami! Come out! We're sorry!" Luffy pounded the door despite Chopper's insistent tugging on his pant leg, "We didn't mean to scare you! Let us in!" He slapped the door again until Usopp stepped in and grabbed the back of his shirt and pulled him away,

"Stop hitting the door before you break it!" the sniper scolded, "it's no use. She locked the door. She won't let us in." Usopp shot a worried glance at the closed partition, "Robin is resting in there so hopefully she can help Nami," the sound of stomping alerted the crew and the men turned their heads to see Zoro storming back up to the crows nest, his spine ramrod straight,

"Zoro! Where are you going!" Luffy hollered and the first mate froze for a split second before he grab hold of the ladder,

"I'm heading back up to keep watch." He spat the words out and for once, the captain fell silent as they watched Zoro haul himself back up with a hard yank back up the deck. As the stifling silence descended once more onto the Sunny, Brook heaved a sigh; it was going to be a long week.

* * *

**Thank you for reading! Leave a feedback of your thoughts below! I'll see you soon!**


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